For your comment:

I expected Obama to tie McCain to the House Republicans who have tried to block the needed bailout bill

I think Obama was smart not to bring that up. The vast majority of American's are against the bailout -- with details left out. If he tied McCain to blocking the bailout it could have easily backfired.

Otherwise you're spot on.

Did I hear McCain contradict himself on a minor issue in this debate? At first he said that Obama had admitted the surge was working "beyond his wildest expectations," or something to that effect. Then, about 45 minutes later, McCain said Obama was unwilling to change and used as an example the fact that Obama refused to recognize that the surge is working. Isn't that a direct contradiction (whether or not either assertion is true, they couldn't both be). Did I hear that right? Did anyone else notice that?

I love your three word summary Joan. My father and I (he was over watching the debate) thought the exact same thing.

What an ass, indeed.

I think McCain's act really wore badly on the viewing public. Or at least the ones that had access to the CNN Responsometers. All McCain really had for most of the debate was just his stump speech talking points, whereas Obama actually was there to talk policy.

It must have made McCain crazy when Obama did not get angry, in fact affably agreed with him on many subject. Irritating for Obama fans that he didn't sock McCain in the nose (figuratively), but Obama is smarter, much much smarter, than McGrumpyGrandpa.

A better description would have been Plaintive vs. Presidential.

Joan, clearly you and I were watching the same debate.

From the early polls on the debates, it looks like independents saw the same debate, too. (see: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/). And that's a good thing.

I don't think either side scored a knock-out. (That is, there were no, "There you go again...." or "You're no Jack Kennedy...." moments.) We'll have to wait a while to see if there is some latent effect. (Such as one or the other "looking more presidential.") Unfortunately, I think that those knock-out moments have been the only time the debates made a difference in the election's outcome. In case someone was not previously aware of the position of either candidate, maybe the debate might have helped. But, I doubt that such a person exists.

Dear Barack,

You did pretty well in the first debate, although it took you too long to catch on to the very simple request Jim Lehrer kept making--that you and McCain address at least some of your remarks directly at one another. Once you started looking at McCain, you came across as very much more clear-headed, mature, and honest. Throughout the debate, McCain looked uncomfortable; a few times, he looked pissed. And when he was pissed, he babbled. He may have grown downright incoherent a time or two. Good work. Bring that out in him more forcefully next time. He's a hothead who can easily be drawn into a series of unpresidential frenzies, if only you'll insist on looking him in the eye and somehow can MENTION that he's not looking you in the eye the way a grown man and aspiring leader ought to be able to do. If you do more of what you did tonight (refusing to let him mischaracterize your statements, saying No when he needs to be corrected, matter-of-factly pointing out his myriad bad judgments and Bushian gaffes), I predict that you will provoke him into one or more SuperFlusters that could show him for the cranky, doddering, washed-up wannabe he truly is.

Once you are elected, please send me a Thank You card.

Doesn't that sum it up perfectly?

"You're using a hatchet when a scalpel is needed."

McCain is a blunt instrument....a man who is playing checkers when we need a leader that can play chess. Obama came across as a brilliant chessmaster whereas McCain came across as a shaved gorilla that someone taught to play a rudimentary game of checkers!

We need brains, not tough guy talk from someone that graduated the bottom of his class 125 years ago.

ohmyGod- like wasn't Obama so cool, wasn't Obama so manly and presidential, wasn't Obama the Totally Hot boy IN Boys club that i so so so don't want to get my unworthy girl butt kicked outta. Oh my god, Obama's so cool i forgot all about being a journalist and can only gush my Love for Obama.

urs truly the female staff of Salon

It's pretty clear to any thinking person that Obama had the broader grasp of the issues and the more forward looking policies. It was certainly disappointing, however, to realize that there's not much difference between the candidates positions and rhetoric on Iran, Israel and Russia/Georgia.

The real question is not how this played among supporters of either candidate. It's how those infamous undecided voters saw it. CBS had a group of them together and the clear majority thought Obama won. One of them offered the opinion that it looked like the Kennedy-Nixon debates, with McCain playing the Tricky Dick role. And CBS's instant scientific poll showed the same results. This means that, barring any unforeseen problems, the ones who will swing this election have swung over to Obama.

The final nail in the coffin will be the Biden-Palin debate. I doubt any thinking (or even semi-conscious) person who is yet undecided will be swayed by the MILF from Alaska's pathetic grasp of the issues and rehearsed answers, especially when compared to Biden.

Now, if only we can make it to the election without Dubya starting a "nukular" war, we might yet have some hope for the future.

The title of your post sums it up nicely. Cranky vs. Cool.

Although the substance of what is said during debates should be of primary importance, body language is just as important, as we have witnessed with debates over the decades. Tonight, Obama looked much more engaged with McCain, often speaking directly to McCain and looking at him when McCain was speaking. McCain rarely, if ever, spoke directly to Obama or even looked at him regardless of who was speaking. It made McCain look dismissive, close minded and stubborn.