Why use this photo in a post titled ‘immigrant edification?’ Because a lesson learned here is that nonconformity may be the best way to survive mediocrity (not to suggest anything about the stunningly colorful gentleman with the striped sock in the photo). How so? Well, I read in the Washington Post today that Bush, a weaker debater by far as compared to Kerry, may easily “win” the debate this Thursday. Why? Because he has developed his own style of debating, one that breaks all rules of traditional reasoned argument, but one that has indeed served him well in the past. The WPost notes that he has a love of using only one or two syllable words and he manipulates his expressive face maximally to win the audience. The news article suggested that the debates will ultimately push the undecided into one of the two camps. If they do, it will be a push based on style rather than substance. Now that is an interesting lesson for an immigrant like me to learn about the political process.