First Presidential Debate: Obama v. McCain

I'm not sure that Obama's academic demeanor -- by which I mean the willingness even to acknowledge common ground before outlining a critique -- will have served him well in the eyes of those not already in his corner, esp. at the end of the debate.  McCain was really taking control of the floor, and Obama, in deference to Jim Lehrer and the rules set forth at the beginning, seemed to allow McCain to get more in, make a stronger finish.  And really, what people are going to remember from a nearly 2-hour long debate is the finish, which is a shame because to anyone listening, Obama's facts and message were much more in line with the realities and needs of this country and its place on the world stage.

So, I think it was kind of a draw.  The polls and the press feeding off of them might well spin that 'draw' into a win for Obama, since The Foreign Affairs Debate was supposed to be McCain's strong-suit and was favored, by some, to win this one hands-down.  Substantively, Obama won.  McCain, though, held his own in terms of rhetoric - even if he seemed cantankerous, grumpy and condescending toward Obama much of the time.  Obama seemed magnanimous and "presidential."  Which posture do those undecided swing voters want?  I have no idea.

I notice Biden made an appearance on all the major networks after the debate, and he was doing great.  The Republicans sequestered their embarrassment of a VP candidate Sarah Palin from the press after the debate, sending out Rudy Guiliani to speak in her stead.  Pathetic, really.