Too close to call

Published October 6, 2004

It wasn't that Democratic candidate John Kerry won the presidential debate over George W. Bush, as pretty plainly he did. It is why he is so widely seen to have come out on top, even if narrowly so.

There were secondary factors that benefited Kerry. He actually looked more presidential than Bush. Kerry stood ramrod straight at the lectern, only smiling or looking grave when Bush attacked him, while...