Substance over stupidity

"America saw two very different versions of our country and two different hairdos. I didn't pick my vice presidential candidate for his hairdo, I picked him for his judgment, his experience."
-George W. Bush, today

Is this really a talking point that Bush wants to run with? I realize it's a joke, and I'm sure it's still kinda funny when Cheney uses it on the stump (even if it's for the 1,018th time), but it's just sorta pathetic for the President to trot it out at this point.

I didn't really say anything about last week's debate. I actually thought it was closer than anyone gave it credit for. It seemed to me the media made too much of Bush's mannerisms (much like Gore's more egregious sighs of 2000). I thought Kerry's real victory was getting the media focused on issues for a few days - no more Rathergate and Swift Boat bullshit. I was surprised by the bump Kerry got in the polls, and since it was based on a real glimpse of the issues, Bush should be a little worried.

Anyway, I thought last night was mostly a draw. Obviously, John Edwards is more appealing as a person, what with not being an evil fucker and all (oh yeah, and better hair). But Cheney punched back adequately. He was his usual lying self all over the place, of course. To claim he's never said there was a Saddam/Al Queda connection? Really? Seriously? What a joke. If you've ever seen him on Meet The Press (multiple times), he's not exaggerating, he's lying.

And the comment about never meeting John Edwards? How weird. Obviously, it was a small comment, but it was also obviously planned. And outright (and provably) false. Which a lot of outlets jumped on. It's a silly thing to lie about, which makes it stupid to even say. Oh, and Tricky Dick got fisked on multiple sites today -- the Congressional Record shows Cheney presided over TWO Senate sessions in four years (he claimed almost every Tuesday).

Oh well. There were many victory claims from the conservative punditry today, and I think if you solidly back one side or the other, it was easy to see a victory. But of course, those votes are set already. Ask yourself which debater was talking to the swing voter.