Post debate coverage

Some quick links to check out before I run off to work.

Newspaper editors: Kerry won.

Teagan Goddard talks about the "confidence gap" in the spin room. Guess which side was lacking there.

Paul Waldman:

Ironically for a president whose problems with his mother tongue are legendary, Bush's campaign has come down to this: The things that I say are superior to the things that he says. I will continue to say good things, strong things. Because nothing is more important that what you say. So I'll be saying things. My opponent won't say things the way I will. If you re-elect me, I will continue saying things, giving signals, sending messages. God bless America.

You doubt? Let's run through some of Bush's debate highlights...

One of the other news memes? Bush's poor debate demeanor. Watch some highlights (or lowlights depending on your view).

Factchecking. Bush seemed to make bigger mistakes than Kerry.

Finally, ABC News' The Note is ready to assert the following:

1. Kerry aides to a person euphorically claim that their guy won. Many Bush aides last night weren't even claiming that the president won. (If they did this morning, we didnt' see it). All of the Bush post-debate talking points simply echo their pre-debate arguments — they did not attempt to build anything new off of this debate. And the "greatest hits" TV excerpts and commentary the Bush campaign sent reporters included some calling the debate a tie.

2. The instant polls done by ABC News, CBS News, and CNN/Gallup show more people thought Kerry won.

3. Check out the voter quotes in this Ron Fournier AP story. They all seem as if Stephanie Cutter wrote them herself, and this one is typical:

"' I'm disappointed in the president's performance, ' said Allan Ramsey, a 67-year-old retiree who told The Associated Press before the debate that he was leaning toward Bush. 'I didn't make much sense of the president's answers.'" LINK

4. Kerry's own advisers and supporters no longer have to be nervous that he isn't up to the challenge of a presidential debate. They were quite nervous going into this one.

5. The president seems angry at the prospect of John Kerry being president, and he did not hide that during the debate. How voters will feel about that show of anger will be interesting to see. The Kerry campaign will push this message, and it is likely something the president will have to keep in mind going into the second debate.

MSNBC showed some of Bush's stump this morning. Nothing new. I would think supporters would get tired of hearing Bush talk about someone else rather than telling them where he would lead.

Kerry still the winner.