...actually very similar to first thoughts.
Most commentators call this either a draw or Obama victory; all acknowledge that McCain didn't do anything to shift the dynamic of the race in his favour.
A few point out something I hadn't picked up but now seems obvious: McCain was very nervous, and wound up. Hence his constant movement, fast talking, and hokey old jokes (that fell flat without an audience response).
Obama won all the insta-polls, and once again voters said they trusted him more on the economy.
Finally, Ambinder has an explanation for "that one" which in the absence of memorable moments the media are picking up on as evidence of a) M's contempt for O, b) possible racial offense and c) old-soundingness:
McCain uses "that one" frequently in his stump speeches; the set-up is usually clearer, as McCain refers to Obama's being one of the senators who supported it, not McCain -- as in, if you had to guess who supported the Bush-Cheney '05 energy bill, it's that senator, not this senator. But it came off awkwardly on stage tonight.
That sounds right. But McCain can only blame himself if it's misinterpreted. A number of times last night - and at the last debate - he used truncated versions of his riffs from the stump that just baffled anyone (ie nearly everyone) who weren't familiar with the longer version. It's a lazy and damaging habit.
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