McCain-Obama I

I'd say overall the debate was a draw. It seems unlikely that this debate changed anyone's minds. The Obama camp will be happy that he held his own in the 'national security' debate. McCain held his own despite Obama's edge in eloquence and glibness.

Two things that McCain needs to do.
1. Hammer home the point that whether you supported or did not support the war initially should not affect how you prosecute it now
2. We cut taxes to spur the economy and to meaningfully cut taxes you have to cut where it matters and that's not the bottom 50%

Key 'jabs' and some comments

Obama claims he "warned about the subprime problem two years ago" - somehow I doubt it.
McCain - nice touch on the Eisenhower story.
McCain - "You afraid I can't hear it" - nice parry
Mac - "We Republicans came to change Washington and it changed us."
Mac - Obama has asked for $932 million in earmarks - a fundamental difference.
Obama - Mac has called for $300 BILLION in tax cuts for the rich. Tries to hang Bush-McCain
Mac - The problem is that "it [earmarks] corrupts people"
Mac - The 'business tax' is 35% in US, 2nd highest in the world. Ireland has 11%.
Obama - Loopholes reduce business tax
Mac - Energy bill had loads of breaks for big oil, Obama voted for it, I voted against it.
Mac - it's hard to reach across the aisle from that far to the left
Mac - get rid of ethanol subsidies, get rid of 'cost-plus' military spending; i know how to get cost overruns under control; e.g., 6.6 billion Boeing and Pentagon

...(unavoidable family interruption)

Even between Obama's hit on getting in the war in Iraq and Mac's hit on his mistake on the surge.
Obama - What is this with PAHK-IS-TAN?? Like NIHKA-RAHGUA...
Obama - good hit on McCain's 'extinction' comment for N. Korea. [Difference is Pakistan, is at least nominally, an ally.]
Mac - create a League of Democracies since Russia causing issues in United Nations
Mac - don't sit down with dictator who advocate a second Holocaust legitimizes them
Mac - catches Obama on initial reax to Russian invasion of Georgia after Obama tacks hard right
Obama - I warned the administration in April about Georgia. REALLY? that's seems to be hard to believe
Obama - China's conspicuous presence in the world is only matched by our absence because we've taken our eye off the ball