It's a good phrase, but Kerry used it awkwardly. I think it was just about Kerry's only stumble in the last hour of the debate. I wonder if he will try to use it again after struggling with it last night.

...it gives ammo for those who think Kerry is going to let the UN make the decisions about who the US will attack, yatta yatta.

I have a torrent of the debate up at on website at http://www.cryptocity.net/~dan/ if anyone is interested.

Bush has already attacked the global test.  he is trying to say Kerry will let France make all the security decisions.  WTF?  Scary thing is I have seen no Kerry coverage of todays events.  He better be pounding and his guys need to get that info out onto the web and in the news.  

on that score when he asked about the global test. I  believe was about the question of pre-emption and the answer required a threshold or test response.

The post-debate spin may work, but if Kerry and the DNC hit back with the image of Bush answering we can nullify any perceived spin advantage: Bush looked pretty dumbfounded and clearly did not seem to follow or understand what Kerry was saying.

Maybe "test" response is an elitist point and may not work in Pensacola, Fl, but in the suburbs of Philly, it could be effective. So we simply target the ad.

I need pics! Where's the chimp?

Has anyone checked out Zogby's site? He's sticking with his prediction of a Kerry win. Good article.

1976:

In 1976, non-elected incumbent Gerald Ford went into a debate with Carter as Carter was sinking like a stone in the polls after coming out of the Democratic convention with a huge lead. One Ford mistake ultimately was credited with saving the election for Carter. Answering a question about the communist enslavement of Poland, Ford said that the people of Poland were free.

1980.  Inept translator rendered Jimmy Carter's "love" for the Polish people as his "lust."
2004.  George Bush's Last Stand:  Whattabout Poland?

First off, I think Bush seemed confused and seemed to believe that there was going to be a pop quiz.  He turned white and seemed to say "I wasn't told we'd be tested on this!"

But the point that Dems need to get out there is that the question involved the problems in the Sudan.  Kerry is already seen as weak on US defense.  The global test is being spun as the same thing as permission to defend the country. If he's going to use the term global test, he must be sure to clarify that he means situations like Bosnia, Samalia, and the Sudan, with global problems like genocide and NOT when defending America.  

Anyone who doesn't understand the place in American history of Kerry's "global test" idea should go back and read the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence. (Here's a link: http://www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/declaration_transcript.html ) Thomas Jefferson and the Founding Fathers understood that if the American people were going to break their ties to England and start an armed rebellion, they should be able--they had a duty--to tell the world why they felt justified in doing it. This was the purpose of the Declaration.

Thomas Jefferson understood that it's wrong for America to start a war without giving reasons that our friends around the world can accept as legitimate. Kerry understands that too. Bush doesn't. End of story.