Ales Rarus

America was served twice-reheated leftovers tonight. What's worse, is that the meal wasn't filling or satisfying in the first place. It looked good, but it tasted like cardboard.

Tonight's debate was more of the same style over substance we say in the previous two debates. The answers were all over-rehearsed and lacked any real depth or sincerity. Like in the first debate, Kerry came off looking and sounding better. Bush didn't fall on his face like he did in the first debate, but he didn't come out swinging like he did in the second debate, either.

Once again I must express my deep disappointment in the moderator. Several questions' relevance to domestic policy were dubious at best. He didn't stop the candidates from addressing past questions, nor did he chastise Kerry when he flagrantly broke the rule forbidding direct address of the opponent. Kerry probably figured he could get away with it since Bush got away with speaking out of turn and over the second debate's moderator.

The interesting questions were talked around. The repeats and re-wordings of old questions produced predictable responses. There's only one question that I'd like to directly address right now. Neither candidate seems to have a clue when it comes to the volunteer army and the possibility of a draft. Kerry wants to add two new divisions. Where would they come from? If we had an overabundance of volunteers, we wouldn't be calling up so many National Guard members and reservists. Bush doesn't seem to have a problem sending so many of those folks overseas. Isn't the National Guard supposed to protect American soil? Shouldn't reservists be saved for emergencies? Kerry wants to conjure soldiers from thin air and Bush doesn't seem worried that we're spreading ourselves too thin. Neither is fit to command.