George W. Wobbles but He Doesn't Fall Down
            

            Prudie,

            Even if you're not an Oil of Olay model--and I find that hard to believe--I
would hope that you would never be caught farther than 15 feet from a Town
Car.

            Tomorrow I hope to return to the subjects of divorce and manners and models.
But this installment of the Breakfast Table is more like a nightcap. Tonight's
post-debate spin session spilled over into the hotel bar, and that's where I am
just returning from. So forgive me if I am sparing in my recounting of the
action.

            Most top-drawer political reporters decided to sit this debate out. For
this, I am thankful. Campaign advisers desperate to spin had nobody else to
chat up. (Of course, dear Prudie, it would have been far more pleasurable to be
sitting in my hotel room and dashing off mail to you.)

            There seemed a consensus, to which even W.'s advisers couldn't really refute
with a straight face: Bush looked truly wobbly. Not that he did himself any
sort of long-term damage. But he seemed to be unsure with his responses. And
the audience penalized him for it. As he coughed out answers or recycled lines
from the stump speech, some of the Nice Republicans of Arizona actually
laughed. The press watching the debate on TV in a remote location weren't so
kind.

            A final note. The candidates worked like hell to avoid engaging Alan Keyes
in conflict and conversation. This seemed to piss him off even more. Afterward,
he was heard muttering something about being an "invisible man."

            Regards,
Massa Frank