Presidential town-hall debate analysis

The more I reflect, the less satisfaction I have with Obama’s healthcare answer

First, Brokaw gets the same gentleman's C that I gave Gwen Ifill last week. I don't think he was totally in McCain's pocket.

Second, David Brooks was not in McCain's pocket, saying Obama won on points. Brooks was the first of many who noted McCain did not "take the gloves off."

Is McCain tired? Second-guessing himself a bit? Willing to let Em-Barracuda fight bare-knuckles?

McCain's one new proposal? Sounds nice, but Obama can counter in a commercial that McCain didn't propose that in the Senate bailout discussion.

FiveThirtyEight.com, on its debate live-blogging, says CNN’s focus group of voters broke well for Obama.

All Obama needed was a tie in a debate format that probably did favor McCain somewhat.

That said, both Sean and Nate at FiveThirtyEight (a Democratic-leaning website, I should note) said they thought Obama won more convincingly than in the first debate.

Final thought here.

Both McCain and Obama were weak on healthcare. In my liveblogging, I noted that Obama has left himself exposed on the “mandate” issue without getting to full coverage, which Hillary Clinton exposed.

If there was one area that called for passion from him, this was it and he whiffed.

He also whiffed by not noting that McCain plans major whacks to Medicare to finance tax cuts elsewhere.

McCain didn’t rebut the robbing Peter to pay Paul charge, but he sped past it well enough he didn’t come off too badly.

So, Sean and Nate, gotta disagree. A tie to a slight win for Obama, with any sort of a win, beyond a tie, being gravy for him, sure. But, a big win. Not a chance.

That said, we’re at four weeks and counting.