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I'm watching a TiVo of the debate, and was wondering what the overall impression of the debate was.

One problem I had with it was that McCain stared down at his podium or his hands or something while Obama spoke, while Obama generally paid attention while McCain took his turn. I mean, I know you don't agree with him, but at least be respectful.

I'm not going to get into issues of actual policy, debates are far from the ideal medium by which to judge that.

They both did a good job sticking to their guns, but it was the presentation which favored Obama. McCain quite simply came off as a condescending old establishment cronie. Not once did he look at Obama, and at several points he appeared to be holding back verbal outbursts. Not to mention the self indulgent smile that would cross his face when he was challenged. A clear defense mechanism designed to keep his notoriously firey personality in check. Not good when you're debating a person who is willing to grant credit for a positive point, as Obama did repeatedly.

McCain also made several major terminological gaffes. Calling Pakistan a failed state was probably the most obvious of these. Though interpreting a pro-Putin sign in South Ossetia as Russian imperialism was also pretty bad.

Obama's only real mistake was a failure to directly tie McCain's aggressive foreign policy to budgetary concerns.

Even if McCain didn't lose this one, and I think he did, he certainly didn't get the major victory necessary to stem the tide going into the VP fiasco next Thursday.

I think part of it may have been the somewhat loose debate format. This is the first time in a while where it wasn't 2 minute answer 1 minute response that has been the death of the art of debate. I can't think of the last time where they were encouraged to look at each other and given such latitude when responding. The older format was designed to keep either candidate from looking to bad and I think that McCain is more ingrained into that since it has been the norm.

I think they both came out Ok, no horrible blunders, but I think Obama won it. I thought McCain repeated himself a bit to much. How many times did he say American Veterans? 542?

Followed closely by 'you don't understand' at 347.

But how many times did he say American Veteran's Don't Understand You, OR

You don't understand American Veterans

(P.S. I'm just being silly here!)

I thought McCain gained a lot of political capital with his 'You don't understand how American veterans don't understand American veterans' line.