Failure of the GOP Rapid Response

After Kerry pounded Bush on all fronts in the debate last night - substantive grasp of issues, clarity, concise precision of ideas, coherent message, grace, and yes... the all important "who is more presidential" front - one might wonder how those who have cast their lot in with this failed president would react. What excuses might they offer for Bush's miserable performance and incoherence?

Some gems:

It was very clear to anyone watching that Bush won the first debate by exposing Kerry's flip-flopping and his wavering on key issues, such as Iraq. - Yeah, bro. Very clear. I think that's the general consensus.

In my opinion, nobody “won,” although Kerry probably helped his battered image slightly by not collapsing into a quivering mass of orange Jell-o. - Right... what does it mean to win, really. I mean, if Bush blinked stupidly in a forest and nobody was watching, would Bush still look like a fool?

The questions were biased against Bush! - No sir, the facts are biased against Bush.

Overall: Bush gets a big win, by hitting all his messages over and over again. - I think you're missing a few "over"s in there.

Bush won because he sounded like Gary Cooper from High Noon,while Kerry sounded like Mrs. Olsen from "little house on the prairie". - Yes, who could forget when Cooper walked calmly down that dusty road, blinked seven times, rolled his eyes, and complained about how hard his job was.

You get the idea that being a Senator has prepared [Kerry] well for 90-minute gab sessions, while Presidents just don't have the time for this sort of thing. - Perhaps the most desperate excuse. Yes, no time for Bush to discuss policy. Too busy watching TV, eating pretzels, and falling off bike. Try him next month when he gets back from the ranch.