Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

By now, the media has dissected Friday night’s presidential debate and there really isn’t much more to say. Yet, I feel compelled to comment on a couple things.

First, I liked this format – the town hall approach – better than the “You must stay behind the lectern at all times” approach. I also liked seeing other Americans, who were publicized as being undecided, ask their questions of the candidates, rather than having one newscaster create the entire set.

I thought each candidate improved over the first debate, but in different ways. George seemed less emotional with his facial expressions, although at one point he interrupted Moderator Charlie Gibson to press an answer. Even when Gibson attempted to stall him, George pushed on. However, during the debate’s ninety minutes, he didn’t move those eyebrows so much.

John seemed more conversational and human, rather than confrontational and robotic. He had an advantage in that the media announced two days before that Saddam Hussein apparently had no weapons of mass destruction at the time of our most recent invasion. So, he asked aloud, what was the real rationale for invading Iraq?

Both men wore better costumes for the format. Both had variations of power ties around their necks. Both came out with guns loaded. Which tells me each is capable, under certain conditions, of learning from previous experience. However, I noticed Bush didn’t change his position on Iraq at all, in spite of the recent revelations. In this case, it’s a question of one man’s single-mindedness regardless of what experience teaches.

And Charlie Gibson, the moderator? Well, he seemed less in control.