The media really allowed the spin after the Gore/Bush debates to truly decide their outcomes. Where Gore may have "won" based on his rhetoric and knowledge of topics, Bush was portrayed as the more down to Earth and less petty of the two. The media focused instead on Gore's little sighs and the rolling of his eyes. What a moron he was to have made himself seem more like a guy behind the counter at MacDonald's than presidential.

If anything, Kerry won both parts last night. He clearly was more articulate and faster on the uptake on rebuttals but also won on image. The only times he broke from the professional composure were a few shots where you could see a slight grin on his face when it seemed he was hit with a revelation of a weak spot he could go after. Bush, on the other hand, grimaced and leered at his opponent and rushed the rebuttals, often appearing to me and my wife that he was pushing the rules.

The spin doctors are going to have a much harder time changing the perceptions on this one.