The clearly-visible bulge under W's jacket during the first debate with John Kerry, followed by the president's lies and the subsequent shelving of the matter, was the beginning of real cynicism regarding our elections for me. To this day I cannot fathom why the cheating issue was dropped; the White House responses were farcical from Day One.

I realize that it was a long time ago. I realize that some people say it should be dropped. I realize that some people's response will be that we try to blame everything on the Bush. But why was it dropped?

"Now Nelson's photos—the result of his applying the same enhancement techniques to the debate pictures that he uses to clarify photo images from space probes—rendered all these official if mutually contradictory explanations obviously false. (A November 4, 2004 report in the Washington paper the Hill, citing an unidentified source in the Secret Service, claimed that the bulge was caused by a bulletproof vest worn by Bush during the debates, though this had been specifically denied by the White House and by Bush himself—New York Times, 10/9/04. In any event, no known vests have rear protuberances resembling the image discovered by Nelson.)"http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2012

"Democratic National Committee Chairman Terence R. McAuliffe pointed to Bush's shaky, repetitive performance in the first debate. "If he had an earpiece and those were his answers, they ought to fire every person in the back room," he said.
Bush campaign spokesman Scott Stanzel, during a Web chat on washingtonpost.com, was asked if Bush wore "any kind of electronic device on his back during the first debate that allowed him to receive information."
"Senator Kerry? Is that you?," Stanzel typed back. "I think you've been spending a little too much time on conspiracy Web sites. Did you hear the one about Elvis moderating tonight's debate?" http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18734-2004Oct8.html

"The president finally responded to the speculation this week by insisting that the bulge was in no way an electronic device. "I'm embarrassed to say it's a poorly tailored shirt," he told a TV interviewer.
Jason Woodside, owner of San Francisco's International Spy Shop, the Bay Area's sole purveyor of espionage and counterespionage gear, could only shake his head when told of Bush's explanation.
"A poorly tailored shirt," he said. "It's possible. But it looks like a wireless induction system. It looks like this."
Woodside held up a picture of a small, rectangular receiver, about the same size as the device Bush is alleged to have worn. It comes with an antenna that's looped around the neck and a wireless earpiece.
"We sold one like this just two weeks ago," Woodside said. "It's easy to set up, fast. Costs about $1,500."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/10/29/BUGOT9I4QS1.DTL