"It's just not that simple."

I was struck by a comment Kerry made last night during the debates: "Well, again, the president just said, categorically, my opponent is against this, my opponent is against that. You know, it's just not that simple." That comment, right there, marks a fundamental difference in the way these two candidates look at the world.

Bush does not seem capable of formulating truly complex thoughts. I will admit that he is very good at repeating what he considers truisms -- and each "truism" is spoken with such force and conviction that many mistake them for actual truth. But lets' face it, Bush is only capable of dogmatic assertions, not of nuanced thought about any of the complicated issues he faces as president. He cannot fathom (for example) that someone can see Saddam Hussein as a potential threat and yet think that there may have been many ways to deal with such a threat. He doesn't understand how anyone can feel conflicted about the grusome nature of partial-birth abortions and yet also see that there may be a time and a place for them. There are very few possibilities and no shades of gray in Bush's world view.

Kerry, on the other hand, has shown himself in these debates to be someone who can be thoughtful about the world around him. He does not think there's a simple solution to any problem. We can improve this country's economy without giving huge tax breaks to the wealthy. Health care costs are not just about an excessive number of lawsuits. We don't have to go it alone in our attempts to stabilize the situation in Iraq. Iraq is not the only threat to our nation's security -- not by a longshot! Kerry understands that these issues deserve a more thoughful approach.

I was heartened by the first Bush/Kerry debate. Brains actually won out over simple-mindedness!, I thought. Yes, it's true that "style" had a lot to do with it. Afterall, who wants a sulky looking child for a president! But Kerry truly won that debate because he actually talked about ideas and didn't simply repeat slogans. That's what I thought...

Now, after last night's debate, I'm not so sure. Bush did a much better job with his outward performance this time and the polls show that they "tied". So, maybe Americans don't want a president capable of complex thought. Maybe they prefer someone who is dogmatic.

Or maybe we're not sure... They did tie, right? So, maybe as a nation we are conflicted. We want the answers to be simple, but know deep down that they aren't. The only question is, will we admit to ourselves that we know that we can no longer take a simple approach to the war on terror, to the economy, to the rising cost of healthcare... and vote for Kerry? Or will we take the easy way out and re-elect Bush? I hope that we see the world for what it is -- mutlifacited, complicated, gray -- and not for what we want it to be -- simple, easy, black and white.