Everything and nothing

The first of three presidential debates was last night. I agree with most pundits that Kerry won; it seemed pretty obvious that Kerry had Bush on the defensive most of the night. Kerry was attacking everything about the Bush administration's foreign policy, and Bush seemed to be trying to explain and justify his policies.

So many media and debate "experts" keep making a big deal about the most superficial of things: the candidates' facial expressions, their stance, their overall body language, the tone of their voices, etc. Are American voters really so shallow as to let those things play an important factor in determining how they choose a candidate? I read an article a couple days ago which suggested that maybe the best way to "watch" a debate is to listen to it on the radio (or turn away from the TV) so that one can focus more on what is said than on how the message is delivered. Makes sense to me, but as someone who studies and teaches persuasive writing, I've had enough experience that I don't let such superficial considerations affect me - or at least I'm aware when they do affect me!