When Roger Buffett's wife died of cancer this week, here's what he put in her obituary--Don't send flowers, Send John Kerry to the White House:

In a paid obituary published in Madison's two daily newspapers, Roger Buffett celebrated his wife's years as a mother, homemaker, grandmother and English teacher. But, he said, she was "outraged" by President Bush's decision to invade Iraq and then expecting "her grandchildren to pay the bills." Other Bush administration policies angered her as well. "She saw John Kerry as the candidate who would most conserve everything she valued," the obituary said. "Jane fought to live long enough to be able to vote this November. To honor her memory, please do everything you can to elect John Kerry."

Cheers today for Virginia Governor Mark Warner who has restored the right to vote to hundreds of Virginians in time for the November election.

Hundreds of ex-convicts will get a chance to vote in the upcoming presidential election, thanks to Gov. Mark R. Warner, who has restored civil rights to more people than anyone else in Virginia’s modern history. Warner, a Democrat, set himself apart from all previous governors this year by restoring civil rights to 1,885 ex-convicts. Warner set the historic mark this summer as people convicted years ago of felonies in Virginia rushed to reclaim their rights in time to vote in the November elections.

If you still need your right restored, go to the state's Web site or call (804) 786-2441.

“Virginia had what may have been the most restrictive restoration-of-rights process of any state in the nation,” Warner said. “I do not believe ex-offenders should face unnecessary hurdles when they are making a positive, good-faith effort to return to productive citizenship.”

Virginia had been one of seven states (Florida is another) that bars former convicts from voting for life:

If you missed watching the debate on a split screen, you missed the reaction of President Bush to John Kerry - you can now watch his smirks and other unbecoming facial expressions on your computer screen, courtesy of the Democratic National Committee

The Boston Globe:

Kerry's Turnaround, Boston Globe:

FOR SIX months since the effective end of the primary season, President Bush has been portrayed as better able to control the debate by staying on message while John Kerry sends mixed messages. Last night at the first televised presidential debate, that equation was turned on its head.

San Francisco Chronicle: Kerry Won by a comfortable margin

New York Post:

Update: Forget the pundits. You be the pundit. What did you think? I thought Kerry Ace'd it. I thought Bush was a mess. His final scripted closing showed just how off he was during the actual debate. Bottom line: Kerry soared, Bush flailed around.

Update: John King on Aaron Brown: Bush's campaign is admitting he lost tonight--he's not a good debater. One aide told him the best thing about the debate is being able to check the box that it's over. Of course, his aides also said debating skills are not as important as Bush's message.

Candy Crowley on Aaron Brown: Aaron asked, "Where between 1 and 10, with 1 being totally depressed and 10 being off-the-charts giddy, is Kerry's campaign tonight?" Answer: between 8 and 9.

Update: The split-screen is a big topic. Even the Fox pundits are saying Bush's demeanor was poor--one called him sour-looking. CNN pundits said the same. On CNN, they also praised Kerry's demeanor and said his supporters will be happy tonight and he was as Presidential-looking as Bush.

Markos of Daily Kos sums up, with thoughts similar to those I've expressed in various posts tonight:

Larry King just announced the results of the first post-debate poll by CNN/USA/Gallup Today:

Kerry won - 53
Bush won - 37

10% were undecided. The poll was not of all Americans, but of 650+ who watched the debate.

Update: As to whom they had a more favorable opinion of after the debate than before:

46 had a more favorable of Kerry afterwards,

16 has a less favorable impression.

Only 21 had a more favorable impression of Bush afterwards; 17 had a less favorable impression.

Atrios has more poll results, all winners for Kerry

The transcript is up. What was the best and worst of the candidate's responses?

Here's one mentioned by TL reader Observer on another thread:

One minor moment, widely overlooked, that may sway lots more voters (mostly women) than people realize: BUSH: I'd like to put them [my daughters] on a leash.
KERRY: I've learned that doesn't work.

Update: Andrew Sullivan [via Kevin Drum]

No president who has presided over Abu Ghraib should ever say he wants to put anyone on a leash. That's all.

Oliver Willis has this video clip up of Bush's "I know Osama Bin Laden attacked us."

Kerry is relaxed and sure of himself. Bush is acting wierd, he keeps grimacing and looking around in the air. Kerry is getting good digs in. He's not being insulting but he's taking all available shots.

How do you think they acted?

Update: Bush is petulant. He's impatient. He interrupted once when he saw time was up and another time said "let me finish" when no one had interrupted him. Bush's mouth is dry, he's licking his lips. He's also too fidgety.

One Hour Update: Kerry has been confident, strong, articulate, and on point the entire time.

Update: Bush was finally honest and articulate on an issue: His praise for John Kerry's character. He avoided personal slams.

8:20. Bush is distracted, his train of thought isn't there. He's tripping over too many words and it seems like he's groping not just for words, but for whole thoughts. Too many pauses.

Closing: Bush has to be reading from a teleprompter for his closing. He's fluent for the first time all night. And his facial expressions are practiced and nuanced to fit the cadence of his speech. What a difference. He can't do it without a script.

Bush's first two misstatements:

75% of known Al Qaida leaders have been apprehended.

America is safer with Saddam in a prison cell.

1. Note the use of the qualifier "known"
2. Iraqis may be are safer, not Americans [edited after reading comments]

Next:

Update: ..first, I'd like to give a big shout-out to my new buddy Tyler who emailed me a week ago asking if I could use some photos on Talkleft for the Miami Debate. I said yes, and he was as good as word, starting out each day looking for behind the scenes goings on. When he'd find them he would email me the picutures and a little story. Just a delight to work with. He got us more pictures pictures and comments after the debate. Thanks, Tyler! They follow his next description:

First, here's Tyler

Wow....what a day. It's 1:30 AM and I just got back from all the festivities. Campus was absolutey crazy all day today. I attended Hardball on MSNBC up to the time of the debate. If you caught any of it, I was standing in the crowd behind Chris Mathews when they had the camera on him and I was wearing my fraternity letters (Sigma Phi Epsilon) and was holding the sign that said "got WMD?". After the debate there was a concert with Jill Scott and Vanessa Carlton, who are both amazingly talented people.

After the concert it was back to the MSNBC stage for post-debate wrap-up and analysis. Let me just say that Kerry really stuck it to Bush tonight. Bush didn't look like he was enjoying himself and kept repeating everything. Kerry was on point and was very poised the entire debate. Bush came out strong but just seemed to lose it after about the first half hour, after that it was all Kerry.

All in all, it was an event I'll never forget; something I can tell my children about one day. How many people will be able to say that they hosted a presidential debate on their college campus? Well, it's about time for me to pass out now. Talk to you tomorrow, and I'll add to the comments tomorrow morning.

Tyler's Thursday Night Pictures are here.

Update: 3pm ET:
Thursday morning pictures here.
Thursday afternoon pictures here.
Thursday late afternoon pictures here
[Click on each photo for larger version.]

Go watch this now--from the Drug Policy Alliance, a new animated flash with great, haunting music The "War on Drugs" Hurts Democracy.

Then take action by contacting your Governor:

The "war on drugs," combined with felony disfranchisement laws, is crippling our democracy by locking 4.7 million people out of the voting booth. This includes hundreds of thousands of nonviolent drug offenders. The U.S. is the only democracy in the world that takes away its citizens' right to vote for life.

[Link via Drug War Rant]

Two new endorsements for John Kerry: one from The Lone Star Iconoclast, Bush's hometown newspaper in Crawford Texas, which endorsed Bush in 2000, and one from former President Dwight D. Eisenhower's son. First, John Eisenhower:

As son of a Republican President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, it is automatically expected by many that I am a Republican. For 50 years, through the election of 2000, I was. With the current administration’s decision to invade Iraq unilaterally, however, I changed my voter registration to independent, and barring some utterly unforeseen development, I intend to vote for the Democratic Presidential candidate, Sen. John Kerry.