Looking back on the debate, there’s not a lot in the way of real blood-letting to be taken away from this debate. I think whether you think Barack or John won will be based largely on style or personal preference.
On the other hand, it was McCain’s debate to lose. He’s in a hole right now, and he needed to look better than expected. I’m not sure he did that, and I’m not sure there was a lot to inspire confidence in those whose confidence he lost. He didn’t look at Obama, he laughed weirdly, and despite Barack Obama’s many compliments and attempts to engage in discourse, McCain could not bring himself to return the favour. Frankly, it looked petulant and unpresidential.
Overall, my personal feeling is that this was roughly a draw, but practically a loss for McCain. Not a win for Obama, precisely, but a loss of opportunity for McCain.
