My thoughts on the debate

[Hokie]

The polls favor Obama: http://www.mediacurves.com/

No surprise that the Dems thought Obama and the Repubs thought McCain won. However, the independents are the key group. These were the ones McCain had to win and it looks like Obama clearly won with them. Even on Fox their group of undecideds broke largely for Obama. I think McCain made a serious error when he would not look at Obama, talk to him, or give him credit for anything. A lot people on DU are saying this was racist behavior on McCain's part. I don't think I would go that far. I think it was just McCain's typical arrogance. Whatever it was, it didn't play well with the voters.

I think all in all this was a horrible week for McCain. He really had to show people who are unsure about Obama that he was clearly better. Instead McCain pulled the grandstanding with the bailout and threatened to take his ball and go home. Palin continues to be a complete embarrassment and the gambit to postpone the VP debate didn't work either. I expect the election is about over but one never knows on these things. McCain certainly is digging a big hole to climb out of and time is growing short. Obama is not going to do poorly in the last two debates. He knows his stuff and he has shown that he will only get better. Foreign policy was supposed to be McCain's turf and he failed to hold it. McCain is likely to do something completely off the wall. I predict replacing Palin with Mitt, Joe or Rudy. He is erratic and will not take defeat easily.