Obama was smirking like George Bush. We can't have more of the same... we need change.  

I completely disagree.  McCain showed how out of touch his is with America on a world stage.  He can talk about experience in foreign policy all he wants, but Obama spoke directly about what we need to do, and what he will do, to expand our foreign policy and get us moving in the right direction.

McCain wasn't using talking points??  That lamentation for the positive or negative segments being said on either side of the issues is quite useless.  They both had talking points to emphasize... it's how they bring people to their side.

I would say it was a tie--I like them both but neither had a grand slam.  One thing I noticed, though, was that as a whole--they both did much better than Bush & Kerry or Gore.

Marv

I think Obama said it best....repeatedly.....

"You're absolutely right John. "

"I have to agree with John"

I wonder if he agrees that McCain won the debate? 

McCain looked and sounded much more Presidential than Obama did.

Did any notice how thin and gaunt Obama looked?  I didn't think he looked that good.  Or is it just me? 

I'm still not planning to vote for either of the two, but I've got to comment on this: Obama needs to realize that second-guessing the initial invasion of Iraq is not a plan. Several times when asked about his strategy, he just went on about how it was a bad idea to start. That's not going to help get anywhere.

Rat! I only managed to cath bits of it. But it was quite fun to watch.

I dunno about won. Maybe in this grandscale mudslinging match Obama wasn't throwing as much McCain?

But I only managed to watch a few bits on the War, healthcare and taxcuts. I missed the rest

Anyone know where I can watch the debate again? I want to watch it again later. more slowly and examine points a bit more (on that funky thing called the interweb that is )

I was kind of disappointed with their answers on international affairs. When it came to Russia, it was like a pissing contest on who could appear tougher than the other: what was said was so dumbed down it was appalling. The US has been pushing for former soviet republics to join NATO, you bet Russia was going to strike back. And with Irak and the Balkans, good luck arguing with Russia about international law (“Oh, the UN. The same UN you said was useless and corrupt?”).

Obama tried to get a little bit away from the tough guy posturing, but all he could do was utter more generalities. All in all, a big disappointment.

I don't think there was a clear winner...no one really knocked it out of the park in my opinion.

I think the part I enjoyed most was how they avoided eye contact with each other for the first bit and didn't really want to talk to each other.

~Zoo

I missed it. Was at a High School Football game and forgot to set satellite box to record. I'm sure I didn't miss much. Same old talking points, things we already know about both candidates and most likely Obama trying to seem as if he has alll the answers while saying McCain is correct at the same time. Right?

What debate did you watch last night?  You've got to be so blinded by bias for you to believe McCain won.

Obama certainly didn't 'knock it out of the park' but at least he didn't get lost in his own muddled answers.  I felt embarressed for McCain, who did come across as creaky and, maybe, unprepared. Obama simply won by default.

The real winner last night was Jim Lehrer who did every American citizen a public service by saying this:

But if I hear the two of you correctly neither one of you is suggesting any major changes in what you want to do as president as a result of the financial bailout? Is that what you're saying?

Great point, Divination. I was actually becoming upset listening to them ramble about how they would try to save money instead of answering the question of what programs might you have to cut/postpone in lieu of this financial bailout proposition.  It took so long to even drag a reasonable response out of either of them, and, still, they weren't clear or concise.  As the candidates, they should know which among their plans is the most important for them to focus on and which ones might need to get put on the back-burner in event of a fiscal calamity.

Thanks, and I agree with you, they were not direct or clear and did more dancing around the question then any thing else.

Do they actually have any serious thought out solutions to our nations ills or do they both 'just wanna' be President'?

Marv,

A few questions for my own curiousity.

1. Are you American
2. Have you voted before, and if so for whom?
3. Do you care who wins this time?

I am trying to get a good unbiased view, and so far, you are the only one that I do not know how they think before the debate.

Well if McCain wins (looking less likely based on the polls but still a possibility) I can't see the K...G...B comment doing much to enhance relations with Russia when he next meets Putin!

A Hugh Hewitt reader got it right... It was like watching the master schooling young Grasshopper.