SURFING THE CHANNELS, the talking-heads seem to be giving this one to Bush, and Candy Crowley notes that Kerry felt he had to stress, again, that he could be trusted to defend America. Mary Beth Cahill tries to respond, but she doesn’t sound like she means it — in fact, she sounds like she’s been crying. Laryngitis? Who put her on camera?

UPDATE: How do we know Bush won? I just got the Buzzflash spinmail and it’s going on about claims that Bush was wired. Hey, did you guys watch him at the beginning of the debate? Must’ve been radio interference, then. . . .

But Pundit Guy says that Bob Schieffer was the big loser.

Debate summarized here.

Ann Althouse wrapup: “Bush revealed the deep personal side of himself, while Kerry was always cool and businesslike. Dukakis-like.”

Tradesports shows a Bush win. I’ve had some suspicions that people may be gaming those futures markets, though.

NEXT-MORNING UPDATE: I went to bed early, but a Brit-reader sends this:

Both sides think they lost. Watching BBC with the spin merchants.

Hard sale.

The Republicans look depressed and the Democrats look absolutely desperate.

Both caning it utterly unconvincingly.

Is it too late for a Cheney-Lieberman ticket? Or Lieberman-Cheney, I don’t care.

Meanwhile Stephen Green updates the Tradesports story: “Tradesport betters did indeed think Bush won. But if you follow the trendline after the debate, you’ll find they also think the press claims that Kerry won – with the expected effects on the electorate.”

Yeah, after I went to bed the reactions seem to have done a 180. The press is working damned hard to deliver its 15 percent.