It's the Hair

Came in from a wake last night and turned on the television, flipped between the various networks, PBS, and cable alternatives, and settled down to FOX News Channel just as Jim Lehrer was introducing the format for the first of the 2004 series Presidential Debates.

The rest is history: one tall, elegant man who knows how to use a lectern and has an excruciatingly adept hairdresser, and another man who may have a comb laying about somewhere and embraces the lectern like an old hickory stick -- probably yet contemplating morning events in Iraq where about 35 children were slaughtered by forces hostile to the newly installed government, the prospect of free and open January elections, and Infidel Crusaders. The hair wins on style, the furrowed brow is thus demoted to and characterized as "anger" and attributed to the so-called debate in progress.

Resultantly frequent Billy Budd moments do not translate into efforts to restrain an informed mind and firm tongue but a deer in the headlights, and challenger nods -- of agreement? -- are not understood to be the brilliant debating device that they are.

The host's questions and concluding behaviors betray his not only apparent but actual sympathies in this race: in paraphrase, "Mr. President, will you ever again resort to a preemptive strike on another country?" while inquiring of the challenger something quite like "Senator, should the President resort to another preemptive strike?" At the end of the evening, Mr. Lehrer bid the President adieu, turned in like manner to Senator Kerry, turned to leave the stage, but suddenly turned back and shared a quiet word with the senator. A lot of hair.