Saw it on C-SPAN, split screen the whole way. Was it like that on the other channels?
Kerry did well. As mentioned above, Bush drained two or three glasses of water. Kerry, one sip I think. They had different glasses for some reason. Bush had a normal looking one, Kerry had a fancier one with a stem.
Kerry made Bush chuckle once, Bush made Kerry smile a few times. I think Kerry made the audience laugh once (making them violate the rule that the audience be totally silent). Kerry made me and my mom look at each other and laugh when he said the way he explained the $87 billion was a mistake but Bush took us into the war, which mistake was worse?
Kerry got Bush to say he agreed with Kerry at least twice, Bush only got Kerry to nod a few times.
Kerry scored a major point when he quoted the first President Bush's book about how going into Iraq would be a mistake. I so wanted him to whip that out at President Bush during the debate. Awesome!
That bit where Kerry wanted to follow Reagan's example probably made Bush's teeth grind just a little, IMHO. Bush stumbled on his words a few times, the way he had a hard time getting his arguments started a few times hurt him a bit. Another mistake Bush made was when he corrected Kerry by saying his administration didn't start the sanctions on Iran. This was not a good thing to mention. Did I mishear him?
The most interesting reaction shot was when Kerry said he and Bush both probably loved America equally. Bush was looking down at his podium and then looked up in...surprise? An interesting reaction.
Kerry left the stage last, he and the wife got an extra cheer, one of the audience screamed Kerry's name. Looks like Kerry is a closer after all. Game on.