Sorry, it's an all-Bush day... skip if you're so inclined...

Various debate reactions that struck a chord with me:

• Mr. Gore in Top Form by Bob Herbert [NY Times]
  ...though [Bush] was asked twice if he supported the Dingell-Norwood bill, he never answered. Instead, he scoffed at the whole governmental process, saying, "There's this kind of Washington D.C. focus -- well, it's in this committee, or it's got this sponsor."
  
  Well, yes, governor. That's how the federal government works. And it will continue to work that way, even if you are elected president.

• Round 3: Saving The Best for Last by Tom Shales [Washington Post]
  ...some of those in the doofus-heavy focus groups assembled by the networks to analyze the debates afterward found Gore not authoritative but aggressive. Bush's folksiness and even his bumbling may in some strange way be working for him. Perhaps things have become so twisted in American politics that if a candidate shows too good a command of facts and is too eloquent in phrasing remarks, people think he's "slick" or just well trained.

• Inspirationally Challenged by Richard Cohen [Washington Post]
  It was Al Gore in a walk. Why? Because George Bush seemed shallow. Because the man who said he would always level with the American people consistently ducked questions or changed the subject.

• Gored by Jake Tapper [Salon]
  Sure, Gore was overeager and sometimes smug. He's Gore. But from the very first question about "HMOs and insurance companies making the critical decisions that affect people's lives," the 100-plus Missouri residents asking the pre-screened questions sought specifics Gore was ready to give them. Conversely, Bush smirked and chortled, and while that probably went over super swell at the DKE house, it allowed Gore to pick him apart in the back-and-forth the format permitted.
  
  "Insurance -- that's a Washington term," Bush said. And I cannot believe he did.

And, from the Onion:

• Bush Horrified To Learn Presidential Salary [The Onion]
  "That's it?" asked Bush, struggling to comprehend the figure reported to him by aides. "A measly couple hundred grand a year? Not per month, even? Because I've already spent more than $60 million to get this job. I'll have to be president for 300 years just to break even."