The Official Debate Thread (Round 1)

[Beemnseven]

There weren't really any knock-out punches, no major gaffes. I just thought McCain appeared really tense, but that's his usual demeanor.

The one thing I took from it was how well Obama articulated this thoughts without a teleprompter. That was something Limbaugh, Hannity and other right wingers have said over and over, that without a prepared script, Obama cannot think on his feet, and that he has trouble speaking in coherent sentences. Which is an incredible comment from them, considering the speaking abilities of the current occupant of the White House. Obama had no problems last night on that front.

I just wish McCain would have responded to the 'tax breaks for the oil companies' claim by saying something like, "fine -- you go right ahead and nail the oil companies to the wall with higher taxes. What do you think that will do to the price of gas?"

Also on that note -- a tax break is not "giving" more money to anyone. A tax break allows people, or corporations to keep more of the money that they earn. Government isn't "giving" them anything because the money didn't belong to government in the first place.

It would have been nice for McCain to hit Obama with that.