Foreign policy: I give this to McCain a little more strongly than you do. He was confident and knew the history and facts about the topics. Obama didn’t make any gaffes, but he didn’t know the details and wasn’t able to analyze as well. The question on Russia showed this most clearly.

Style: Here, I’m going to have to respectfully disagree completely. Repeatedly drawing attention to an opponent’s limited understanding or ability always works well. What McCain did was a politer, milder version of Lloyd Bentsen’s famous “You’re no Jack Kennedy” smackdown. The point was re-emphasized when Obama (a) couldn’t display the understanding in his rebuttal and (b) even ended up agreeing with McCain.

But here’s what did come across as the equivalent of Gore’s eye rolls – Obama’s pattern of interruptions, hand-waving, and head-shaking while McCain was speaking. Both indicate disrespect for the opponent, and that’s what hurt Gore the most.

As for McCain’s jokes, he’s so bad at delivering them that I didn’t even notice them. Maybe others might be more attuned to that; I was focusing on the subject matter. You may be right that it hurt, but I doubt most people knew he was even trying to make a point.

As for Stanley’s comment:

his is the Reagan revolution, and for a lot of people right now, it doesn’t look like morning in America.

The proper comparison would be to 1980, not 1984 (”morning in America”). McCain’s “revolution” – and Lord knows I’m not comfortable with some parts of it – is not about defending the status quo.

- Need oversight.
-Taxpayers should get money back when market recovers.
-No money needs to pad CEO bank accounts/golden parachutes.
-Need to deal with root of problem.
-This is a verdict of for 8 years of Bush policy supported by John McCain

This is horse hockey!! The 1st golden parachute I remember started under the Clinton adminstartion in the Eagle Foods Corporation. The CEO even raided the pension fund. It caused the company to file for bankruptcy protection which led to it’s eventual end. This was written up in the Wall Street Journal and they lambasted the CEO for his activities. Did the Clinton Justice Department go after the guy?? No. – Lorica

Foreign Policy:
McCain stronger on foreign policy, but not so much stronger as I had expected. He needed to knock Obama out of the box; he didn’t. McCain tried to trap Obama on unconditional talks. Didn’t work.
McCain 10-9

Style:
Those “what Sen. Obama doesn’t understand” interjections are going to kill McCain. That was as bad as those sighs of Gore in 2000.

Not good.

McCain’s silly jokes about the seal and the bad pen he was holding up. Totally awful–especially the seal joke. Most of the audience isn’t interested in right-wing obsessions.

Obama: 10-8

The War:
Obama looked dumb with the “resurgent Al-Q” nonsense. And he has to stop tossing “the base” all that red meat about how the war shouldn’t have begun. It did begin, and if he’s president he’ll have to deal with what’s going on now, not what he would or wouldn’t have done in 2003. McCain forcefully made the point that he has the patent on the surge.

McCain: 10-8

Overall impression:
Obama did what he had to do–show he can perform without a teleprompter. McCain tried for a knockout punch, but never landed one. Obama was happy to last the bout.

Total: 37-37. It’s a draw on my card.

Last word to Times’s Alessandra Stanley:

Mr. Obama was not particularly warm or amusing; at times he was stiff and almost pedantic. But all he had to do was look presidential, and that was not such a stretch. Mr. McCain had the harder task of persuading leery voters that he can lead the future because he is so much part of the past.

He tried to remind viewers of his greater experience and heroic combat career, while also casting himself as a maverick outsider ready to storm the barricades. Mr. McCain wanted to be the true revolutionary in the room, but his is the Reagan revolution, and for a lot of people right now, it doesn’t look like morning in America.

Quite so.

The Messiah claimed that al Qaeda is growing strong again. The proof He offered was that they are sending out videotapes. Wow.

Did not al Qaeda used to blow up skyscrapers or something? My typical white person imagination has a hard time with the idea that videotapes is in the same league with successfully executing mass murder.

And if making snotty and offensive videos is successful terrorism, does that not make Michael Moore America’s #1 terrorist? (Don’t answer that!)

On Round One (what is the country’s general economic strength) Obama appeared more confident; McCain’s opening comment rambled a bit too much for me. But when Lehrer asked the two directly if they supported the plan now under consideration, Obama voted ‘present’ again (”I haven’t seen it.”). McCain finished stronger after that.

Round Two – Obama promised a line-item veto of spending provisions?? I think that power was revoked a long time ago.

Once the questions turned to non-financial topics, Obama was on the run all night. I lost track of how many times McCain pointed out that Obama didn’t understand a concept, or the effects of his quick withdrawal ideas.

If I’m scoring this, I give Obama the first round, the second was a draw, and McCain did better on the last six.

Some other observations:

Did anyone keep track of how many times Obama tried to insert health care into a debate on foreign policy and national security? My notes have him talking about it on at least five of the eight questions. Somehow he even worked it into the final question (what’s the likelihood of another 9/11?). Conclusion: he’s very uncomfortable talking about national security and desperately wants to change the subject.

Obama thinks AQ is ‘resurgent’? That’ll come as a shock to the them. All their intercepted communications tell us they’re hurting. They have no serious support in Iraq and can’t even get their videotapes out on time anymore.

The rudeness factor – Obama spent too much of the night smirking and interrupting, often without saying much. I don’t think that played well with undecided voters.

After listening to years of anti-Iraq War Democrats smashing their heads on the ground shrieking about Bush’s “reckless, headlong rush to war”, should not He Whose Middle Name Must Not Be Mentioned have to justify His headlong rush to war?

Where is Code Pink, now that we really need them?

I am happy to report that on intrade mccain went up and obama went down during the debate. YES!

Still, I would like to see Obama in the fetal position on the floor sometime during the debate…

So, tonight it’s a cold beer, a documentary on dinosaurs (No, not Biden.), and then Dial M for Murder. Hot times.