I'd call it a draw in substance and Obama definitive win in demeanor. McCain seemed to be nearing apoplectic anger toward the end.

The Post Debate Polls
TOM BEVAN
"Who won the debate polls" are notoriously subjective, of course, so take them for what they're worth. But according to three post debate polls, respondents think Obama got the best of things tonight:

CBS News: Obama won 39%, McCain won 25%, Draw 36%

Insider Advantage: Obama won 42%, McCain won 41%, Undecided: 17%

CNN: Obama "did better" 51%, McCain "did better" 38%

I thought it was a draw. I don't pay much attention to debates anyway. The candidates have rehearsed, they reiterate points they've been making for the past year, and I don't think public speaking ability has much to do with your ability to be a good president, although it does make for nice fireside chats, if we still had them.

I did think both candidates were quite polite, even when criticizing the other. I liked both their demeanors.

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Overall, I think both candidates scored points and came out about even. However, I believe Obama is the ultimate winner with his demeanor and attitude. McCain came off as the crotchety old neighbor about to tell kids to get off his lawn.

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Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. --Master Yoda
Facts can change opinions, opinions cannot change facts.

I, too, think it was about a draw. That may not bode well for McCain, though, since foreign policy is supposed to be the area where he holds a big advantage over Obama.

It was hard for me to really pick out any clear winner. McCain did really well on certain parts, Obama did as well. The one thing that I noticed most, and some picked up on this at the end...McCain never looked at Obama when addressing him. One thing that I like about Obama is he actually looks at you when you are talking to him. I noticed this in the videos on the campaign and such, and it always caught my attention. McCain does as well, but nearly not as much, and not at all last night.

The 3rd debate between them has them both sitting at a table with Bob Scheiffer <sp>...so hopefully he doesn't do that still, otherwise it will get really awkward fast.

On substantive points made, it would be hard to point to a decisive victor. However since the assigned topic---foreign relations---is widely taken as McCain's strong point, it does not bode well for him that it was a virtual draw. Now, substantive ponts aside, McCain's demeanor was inexcusable---refusing to look at Obama, smirking and muttering while Obama was speaking. McCain came off as irascible (and old) and just plain mean.
'

I agree, I couldn't choose a clear winner either.. although throughout the debate, I kept thinking,

'wow, Obama is truly articulate and extremely poised'.

He just seemed so intelligent and sharp. Very classy.

Comments were made that ' he said he agreed with McCain' I think he was being polite and giving him props where McCain wasn't as generous.

Towards the end, I was turned off a bit by McCain's reference to taking care of veterans.. it just seemed so contrived. ( of course, I agree, they need to be taken care of).

But, it was like a baby kissing photo op.. it almost seemed desperate and he didn't need to do it, he did well throughout the debate.

This is tough.. I respect both candidates. It's easy to say, go with the policies, not the personality but how many times have presidential candidates promised the world, and never delivered?

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" You've Been Thunder Struck ! "

McCain's entire campaign since the convention has been one desperate, contrived ploy after another.

I missed the first part of the debate, but saw the tail end of the economic portion and all of the foreign policy portion. Plus, I watched a great deal of the post-debate commentary switching between Fox and CNN to get a different read on things.

I'll admit that Obama kept his cool throughout. Some see this as being arrogant and I can certainly feel where they get that. While I understand what he was trying to do in saying "Sen. McCain is right," the McCain camp has now taken that and used it as an ad ploy against Obama.

Frankly, I wanted to see a little more passion from him, and to stand his ground a bit more with McCain.

McCain got in a few more zingers, but came off as surly and bitter at times. His thing with the bracelet cracked me up, especially when Obama pulled his out in a game of "gotcha." Of course, Obama kind of flubbed up that bit so didn't pull it off as well.

I'm frankly a bit surprised that the polls tracked as favorably towards Obama as they did.

The next few weeks will be interesting. Can't wait for Biden-Palin. That'll be a fun one!

Speaking of the post-debate coverage, it has been noted that Joe Biden was jumping from network to network doing the typical spin thing, but Sarah Palin was nowhere to be found! As an Obama supporter I cannot help but express my thanks to the Republicans for giving us an advantage by having a VP candidate that's not even capable of doing her job as spinmeister, advocate, and attack dog on behalf the top of the ticket. I suppose she was up in Alaska protecting us from the Russians in case Putin "rears his head and comes into the airspace" of the USA.

BTW, a Fox News group of undecided voters broke to Obama: YouTube - FOX News Focus Group: Obama Wins Debate

Yeah, yeah, I know, must be "librul media bias", blah blah blah.

Yes, we can all discount the infamously lefty news outlet Fox.

Something amusing about Fox: Rupert Murdock, News Corp (Fox's owner) boss and tabloid news guru, said in the recent Vanity Fair article that he would pick Obama because his winning would "sell more papers."

You may be very first to accuse Fox News as having a liberal bias!

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Earlier this week I thought that McCain would probably be the favorite going into this debate because I felt like his "suspending the campaign" was a bit of political genius. Of course this was when everyone assumed that a bailout deal was a no-brainer and would be happening within a day or two. When it didn't happen that whole strategy severely backfired on him and put him on the hook to some degree and probably reversed the going-in favorite to Obama.

I felt like the debate was mostly a draw, with a slight advtangage to Obama. Here's why. Did anyone else notice we seem to have come full-circle now in the candidates strategies?

Nearly every time Obama answered a question he answered with logic. He was very clear and decisive in his opinions on international policy. When McCain answered questions, he often focused on emotion, bringing up the troops, his service to his country, the mother of a fallen soldier, etc.

At the beginning of this campaign Obama was the one who was drawing on people's emotions, and McCain was the one who was out there being opinionated. Although Republicans have often played on emotions in the past, they usually focus on those things that fire up the base. McCain seems to be deliberately avoiding this, probably because with all the dissatisfaction for the current administration this is not the year to be out there talking those talking points. I bring this up because I think it is an unusual tactic for a Republican presidential campaign. I'm not sure how well it is going to play out.

What I thought was extremely telling is that after the debate, the Obama campaign had Biden out there doing "spin" and McCain had....Guillani??? To me, that's just a slap in the face to Palin and clearly shows they have no confidence in her. I think the V.P. debate is going to be brutal.

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Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. --Master Yoda
Facts can change opinions, opinions cannot change facts.

Republicans would be better served to throw out Tina Fey on Thursday night

Can you imagine the studying Palin will be doing this week?...Going to have to come up with better answers than "I will try and find ya some and get back to ya"

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Dr. Spaceman: Now Jenna, medically speaking for your height your weight puts you what we call the "disgusting" range. Fortunately there are solutions. For example, crystal meth has been shown to be very effective. How important is tooth retention to you?

Gibson and Couric were so mean to our gal Sarah. If the damn librul media would just so some deference and asked her questions she can answer like:

Is it better to fire people in a paranoid huff or to invite them to go moose hunting and shoot them in a "hunting accident?"

Which is better, a $200 million bridge to nowhere or a $500 million one?

Or,

Which is more of a threat to Wasilla, the out of control methamphetamine problem or witchcraft?

Her media appearances have made her look just about as informed and coherent as Miss Teen South Carolina.

I might feel sorry for her if she hadn't had the arrogance and self-delusion to go along with McCain's plan.

However, if the American people have the good fortune to avoid her being the next president or vice president, you can be sure she'll be back.

My question is, what's her next candidacy? Senator? Representative? Presidential nominee 2012?

Jimmy Kimmel trying to explain why McCain lost the debate regarding the economic crisis:

I was enjoying the thread until it suddenly went off into a stupid Sarah Palin slam. Can't you do that on another thread dedicated to that. Does EVERYTHING have to come back to moosehunting? For god's sake, enough already. The humor is just stale at this point. Find something else trivial to obsess over, will ya?

ECO, Palin is relevent to the thread. Her absence in the post debate media is very relevent.

Palin has turned out to be so out of her league, it's hard to discuss her in a serious context.

But, you might have a point.

ECO, the left's presidential candidate is an empty suit, as mentioned time after
time. They must do something to divert the attention away from him, however,
it's not working.

I think it's hilarious that they act like Sarah Palin is running against BO. I don't
think this has ever happened in any presidential election.

I can't wait until she and JB debate. JB is a total joke. Sarah Palin will cook his
goose.

I'm going to spend some time rolling on the floor laughing. This is great.

Keep up the good work!

Prune,

Can you define cook his goose?

Does that include giving answers like, "I'll try to find ya some and bring 'em to ya."

Something tells me Biden won't have to defer his answers to some future never.

That is a standard reply lawyers, at least, are taught to offer. It has to do with the foolishness and potential breach of ethics that could arise from speaking off the cuff that could result in misleading a court. I know she is not a lawyer but I wonder if a lawyer prepped/trained her. I agree, it was not a great response but better than just making stuff up. And yes, I know it would be better knowing the stuff to begin with.

Certainly better then telling us about the details of the Great Depression.