Debate Town Hall style. This one seemed better than their first debate in Mississippi. Both seemed more active and in attacking mode on policy, but not personal. Brian Williams on NBC immediately following said the audience participation was basically minimal. I agree.
Since the questions were driven by 80 undecided voters instead of moderator Tom Brokaw, it's no surprise that the first half was dominated regarding on the economy. Actually I shouldn't say dominated, it was the first half of the debate. Fitting for a day the Dow dropped 500+. After some discussion on healthcare, social security, and energy, they jumped right back into the economy an hour in. What was most bothersome, at least to Brokaw, is that neither candidate followed the agreed to rules regarding time.
Both candidates pushed their platform and their strengths. Obama on his "Change", surprisingly without actually using the word. McCain on his experience. I didn't see much that would make anyone lean one way or another.
My favorite line was Obama saying "The Straight Talk Express has lost a wheel" in response to a question about fixing social security. McCain however fumbled this. He said it was an "Easy Fix". Identifying the problem is easy. Lack of Supply vs. Overwhelming Demand. There is no easy fix for this. It shows McCain does have an economy problem. Anybody with Econ 101 in their pocket knows it's not an easy fix. Maybe McCain knows more than we do.
The debate veered toward foreign policy in the last 15 minutes. Iraq, Afghanistan, and Russia. Both candidates seemed to go on the attack making sure their platform is heard. McCain used "My Friend(s)" several times. Maybe it was a tactic to be more homey and friendly, like what is his running mate's personality. But not overwhelmingly bad, like Palin's annoying way of answering everything.
The last question of the night came from a voter in New Hampshire via the Internet. "What don't you know and how will you learn it?" I do not believe Obama really answered it, but used it to summarize his platform. In a way he did by stating those things. McCain did something similar. So it was a wasted question.
My personal analysis...another draw. With no surprises or wow moments, we are left with mostly scripted answers. Their individual personalities came out somewhat, but nothing to persuade one to vote either way. On to October 15 for the final one, and apparently the one we'll all have to use to make final decisions.
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