I'm pretty disappointed about Bush's performance in the first debate. I've heard the spin: he was tired from visiting hurricane victims in Florida; he works all day while Kerry primps and tans. I've heard Republican pundits praising that he stayed on message and delivered a very strong performance. What? They must be kidding! It was as if he could only remember one phrase "wrong war, wrong time, wrong place" and one message "what message does that give to our troops and to our allies".

I was embarrassed for him and winced each time I heard him start a sentence and then use, as the second word, "uh" (as in, "We, uh........(long pause) are helping the, uh.......(long pause) (embarrassed smirk) folks in Iraq...).

He did not come across as someone in command of the facts, but Kerry did. My worry, though, is that this Extremist Islamic threat is actually real and that a consensus-seeking President isn't what the world needs now. Kerry talked about "reaching out the the Muslims". What? I don't think you reach out to these maniacs who choose to behead fellow human beings. He isn't calling them what they actually are - brutal murderers.

But then I think about all I've read. Has this threat manufactured and a culture of fear been fostered so the goals of PNAC can be implemented? Is it live or is it memorex?