Damn, missed it.

You're pretty fair in your evaluations and for the most part objective...so if you said he got crushed...I wonder if anyone will say he won. 

~Zoo

I was impressed with McCain's out-of-the-gate approaches this time around.  He seemed quite aggressive at the start really trying to outshine Obama.  I even thought he accomplished that mission well enough with some of those early arguments (though I don't agree with them).  Once Obama got with it though, it was very much his show.  Although, throughout the course of all of the debates, I'm very disappointed that they will not just answer the questions straight.  I know it is pandering to the stupid, which wins many of those undecideds over, but many of us Americans are tuning in to see those specific questions answered, not hear the same old stuff they've always talked about over the months while practicing to dodge these questions.

I only caught the last half hour, and Obama was just coasting, reciting his talking points, but smoothly & calmly; he almost seemed bored to me.  I don't believe the debate will have much effect on the vote, though.  The chattering heads all love to tell us what we're thinking after these things and I don't/won't put much stock in the Sports Center Post-Game Wrap-up.  The way these things get treated like a sporting event is very distasteful to me.

That's how you roll when you think both candidates are horrible. 

The reason I can't stand debates is that they are trying to appeal to "undecided" voters. Nine times out of ten undecided voters are complete idiots who vote on irrelevent "emotion" issues. People who have not yet formed an educated view of the candidates this late in the campaign are either living with their heads up their you know whats or just mentally deficient.

I, like you, did not see it.  But some "News" folks this morning said he did win - just not the KO he needed.

Just think - in 4 years, the internet will be reversed.  And bush will be just a lame afterthought to those who lose arguments.

I said he won the second debate. And I certainly prefer McCain to Obama.

I thought McCain came out a bit more stranger this time around, basically doing what many had said he should do, go after Obama. But like many, I did not see him hit hard enough most of the time though he did get a nice hit or two in there like when he said:

"Senator Obama, I am not President Bush. If you want to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago".

But I hate to think that this in no way convinces many people, except maybe the Joe The Plumber part. If McCain was able to catch peoples attention with that alone, he may still give Obama a run for his money if he doesn't actually win. Still, I can only hope that some will come to their senses at the last minute. McCain may not be our best choice, but Obama will definitely be the worst in my opinion.

Apparently the debate left a bad taste in McCain's mouth

I'm thoroughly convinced that 'Joe the plumber' is a lie, a plant.  It's already been proven he's lied once - he said he was a registered voter, and there are no registered voters in his district under his name.

I expect this sham to be exposed in the coming week.

if you're right, I'll apologize but this is the sort of rhetoric I get all the time from my Dem grandmother.  Everytime something goes against her candidate (thru the years) she comes out with this exact statement.  I remember he saying this against both Bush's and even Jeb Bush.  There was some big dark secret about Jeb Bush that was going to come out anyday now..... Of course it never amounts to anything but it's like she's waving some sort of trump card or something. 

Like KFC, I too would take back anything if it turned out to be a lie or a sham. Still, one can not ignore that someone will always see these kinds of stories as BS when it's against their candidate or their party or their beliefs.