CORAL GABLES, Florida, Sept 30 (AFP) - The testosterone all but fizzed off the screen into America's living rooms as President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry refused to cede an inch in a beefy presidential debate.
Despite rigid rules supposed to stifle spontaneity, genuine debate did its best to break out, as Bush and Kerry fired rhetorical darts over Iraq, and the post-September 11 global anti-terror campaign.
Bush, who has built a career on an aura of decisiveness, gave immediate notice he planned to dominate the rhetorical tug of war, marching out of the wings to reach Kerry's side of the red-carpeted stage for a ceremonial handshake.
That may have been a choreographed bid to offset the supposed advantage Kerry was supposedly given in the minds of voters looking for reassurance in a hostile world, by his superior height, at 6'4 to the president's 5'11.
Bush, schooled through addresses to Americans in times of grave national peril, peered straight into the camera as he gave his answers -- literally looking the nation in the eye.
Kerry however spent most of his time pleading his case to debate moderator Jim Lehrer, and not directly into the lens, with a slight side-on posture as he answered.
He did however directly address viewers in his final statement, promising to "look you in the eye and say to you I defended this country as a young man in war and I will defend it as President of the United States."
He ended the debate in the Convocation Hall at the University of Miami with the presidential valediction "God Bless America" reflecting his main task for the evening -- proving he is fit to serve in the Oval Office.
Regulations hammered out by both campaigns were supposed to prevent direct interaction between the candidates --- Democrats whispered because the president wanted to avoid going toe-to-toe with the rhetorically gifted Kerry.
But it was Bush who turned the tables twice on his opponent, first demanding 30 extra seconds of time to rebut Kerry's fierce criticism of his perceived lack of leadership over Iraq.
And he then broke the rules by responding directly to a Kerry claim that he had not made America safe from terrorists, drumming out his promise in resolute prose.
"I again want to tell the American people, we're doing everything we can at home. But you better have a president who chases these terrorists down and brings them to justice before they hurt us again."
Kerry, seeking to bury his reputation as a windy speaker, spoke for the most part in short, clipped sentences and clauses, avoiding for the most part avoiding complicated constructions.
And seeking to prove to Americans he is fit for highest office, Kerry even referred to himself as a prospective commander in chief, as he slammed Bush for developing bunker-busting nuclear bombs.
"Not this president, I am going to shut that program down."
In another exchange, he criticised Bush's decision to wage war in Iraq as a diversion from the global anti-terror campaign, using staccato delivery often missing from his public appearances.
"Saddam Hussein didn't attack us. Osama bin Laden attacked us. Al-Qaeda attacked us."
Bush, whose carefully framed image as a decisive leader is based on his blunt plainspoken language, largely avoided the garbled syntax that frequently dots his off the cuff public utterances.
Unlike previous presidential debates, there was little levity, as both candidates sparred in what both obviously believed was a time of national emergency for their country.
But both did compliment one another on their families, each have two daughters, and Kerry paid tribute to First Lady Laura Bush.
The debate took place in a strange vacuum, with no laughter, gasps or applause, in line with the strict groundrules set for the debate.
Moderator Jim Lehrer told the audience before the debate went on air that they were there only to "bear silent witness" and ordered "no hissing, no booing, no cheering, no crying."