…and were thrilled that Obama strongly held his own. The pundits lamented that neither candidates said or did anything memorable. But at a time like this, who cares about the entertainment value of these things.

I was just pleased that Obama came across as experienced, incredibly knowledgeable, and eminently serious about the urgent issues that face this country.

The Times’ editorial said that Obama needs a better counter punch and that may be true. He is an even-handed guy with a tough intelligence. Maybe he needs to show some more of himself and his personal outrage at the state this country is in at the next debate.

On the economy it was hands-down Obama’s show. He was clear and direct in his analysis of the current Wall Street crisis and very straight forward about what he plans to do. His emphasis on the needs of the middle class and the failure of our health care system was strong.

During the foreign policy section, McCain was able to muster the sense that he is experienced and knowledgeable.

But it was downright disgusting to hear him defend the war in Iraq (and even Ronald Reagan’s missle defence shield, which McCain said is what won the Cold War. Huh?)

He never acknowledged what a huge mistake it was to invade Iraq in the first place and still seems to believe that the key to defeating Al Queda is tied to our victory in Iraq. Winning the war in Iraq? It’s like some weird time warp.

Obama, on the other hand, stated clearly that we should NEVER have invaded and can never win and any success in Afghanistan is impossible as long as we’re bogged down in Iraq.

The debate was for the most part cordial and serious. It really exposed the vast differences between the two men. For those who are undecided, I’m curious how the debate will influence their decision.

I fear that McCain’s bogus “I’m old and experienced stance” might be convincing to some who aren’t that familiar with the issues. On the other hand, Obama grasp of the issues was, as always, impressive, and could be convincing to those who worry that he is too inexperienced.