Okay, Bush is losing it now, and Kerry’s back on track. He’s sounding desperate in insisting Kerry’s not credible, and his attempts at humor are not working so well. Now, answering a question on the environment, he’s stumbling a bit, and rattling off a list of environmental ‘successes’ that sound too memorized. He’s not as smooth on this one. Kerry has a chance to smear him on this; will he?

Kerry answers more on the credibility issue first, and then goes on the environment. His answer is fairly strong, and then mentions going with the science. A strong single, maybe a double, but hardly a home run.

Now the questions turn to jobs; up to now, Kerry has pulled ahead, winning the second half hour.

Kerry is now sounding more focused and speaking in a way that people can connect to. He laid out clear plans and principles. Bush’s reply on jobs is sounding more and more muddled, trivia laced with pot shots.

Something just happened with a timber company–I missed it, but if Bush is not hallucinating or distorting, then maybe Kerry just made an error.

Kerry is answering the stem cell question fairly well, but I think he was thrown by the claim made by the questioner about how ineffective embryonic stem cell research as opposed to adult stem cell research–wasn’t sure about the facts there, so he spoke around it until he could get back around to the point about fertility clinics. Bush came out sounding much more certain, and quieter than before. Kerry’s rebuttal was better, pointing out the dearth of resources Bush has made available.

Bush answered the Supreme Court question strangely: I’m not gonna tell you, besides I want them all voting for me. People are going to interpret that one badly, I think. Both we jokes, but the audience laughed at the first part, fell silent on the second.

Bush said he would get strict constructionists, but would not have a litmus test on how they would interpret the constitution. Come again? A bit of a contradiction there. Kerry’s response was much better. He’s making the point about what issues are at stake with the next court appointment.