Michael B?rub? has watched the debate and he saw a strong Kerry and a Bush who had become (even more) soft from four years of friendly-friendly press conferences and softball questions:
[…] then came the discussion of North Korea, and holy Moloch in a chicken basket, it was like watching a real President debate a B-list actor. My God, Kerry sounded like he knew more about nuclear policy in and on North Korea than the guy who?s actually running the United States, and that?s largely because . . . guess what? He does! Then Jim Lehrer asked what Kerry thought would be the greatest threat a US President would face in 2005. I expected Kerry to take a deep breath and list a couple of things. I expected wrong. Kerry calmly said, ?nuclear proliferation.? Short but dramatic pause. Followed by the best goddamn discussion of nuclear proliferation anyone has ever managed in 120 seconds or less. Followed, in turn, by a confused and defensive Bush demurring about one of Kerry?s statements about Iran before doubling back and saying that he agreed that the biggest threat was ?weapons of mass destruction in the hands of a terrorist enemy? and then saying that he would be against this.