One down, 3 to go (if you count the VPs, which I DO)

McCain really zoomed back in the second half. I think he sounded unsure in the first half, which mostly focused on economic issues. If he would have hit harder on Obama and his fellow Democrats, Chris Dodd and Barney Frank, rather than "Wall Street greed", he would have been more effective.

But he recovered nicely in the foreign policy phase of the tussle. I think, though, that in the end, the debate has to be declared a draw. McCain scored some points on the idea of Obama meeting with Ahmadinejad, as well as swatting down Obama's attempt to equate Henry Kissinger with support of some Obama position or other (I can't recall which at the moment). But, Obama was very surefooted, and debated in a far more authoritative way than he did during the primaries. He doesn't look as tired as he did for a while.

I doubt the whole thing tonight was a gamechanger. I still remember Kerry's line in 2004 about the "global test" that had to be passed before any international conflict could be approved, and how Bush kept falling back on the same talking points and looked fatigued and hunched. Both gentlemen tonight were better debaters than the 2 in '04.

I look forward to the 2 that remain, and feel McCain was adequate tonight. Bottom line, though, I doubt any minds were changed, although the spin doctors are practicing their craft furiously...