Last night's debate

Last night's debate was a spirited exchange and ultimately I think it resulted in a tie. Both candidates performed equally well, and there wasn't a great sound byte that the modern media can't live without. I believe Obama got the better of McCain while debating the economy and McCain was the clear winner in debating foreign policy.

On the foreign policy side, I would have liked to see Obama hammer McCain a bit more on the initial vote to go into Iraq. He made the point, but it was overshadowed by McCain's focus on the success of the surge. In my opinion, Obama has a foreign policy issue about which history has proven him right with opposing the war from the start. He should have hammered it home.

On the economy, McCain allowed Obama to play the left's classic game of class warfare while discussing the McCain tax cuts and the sub-prime crisis. Moreover, he didn't challenge Obama at all when Obama stated that this credit crunch is the cause of deregulation. This is a hotly contested topic between economic interventionists and advocates of the free market, and allowing him to say that unchallenged allowed Obama to state it like it was fact. If McCain doesn't squash this populist overtone early in the debate on economic policy, he is in for a long night and doesn't stand much of chance of winning that debate. A Republican candidate cannot win a debate on economics if he concedes the merits of free market capitalism simply because of tough economic times. Ask George H.W. Bush how that works....from 90%+ approval rating to losing an election to a virtually unknown governor from Arkansas.

The MOST interesting thing about this debate in my opinion, is the amount of misinformation both candidates spread about their opponents. I took a look at fact check to see what they are saying about the debate. I have linked it here. for those who are interested. It is truly astounding what they get wrong....even about themselves!!