I’m not sure what you’re trying to say here, but the first visual that came to mind was Senator Biden dressed up as Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry) in the Rocky Horror Picutre Show. :eek:
I agree also that just on what it was seen the debate was a draw, the problem for McCain is that because he was behind in the polls he needed to clearly win.
Now it will depend on who was more accurate to later make a judgment on who can claim a slight victory.
I’d like to be able to find something to belittle about McCain, but he did fine. Both did fine. They got their points of view out. Neither had any real fuckups. Obama was a littkle better on the economy. McCain showed that he has knowledge and experience of foreign policy, but I don’t think we found out anything we didn’t already know.
It might be a slight net gain for McCain, who looked pretty good after a bad week.
Are there any respectable early-stats on how the debate was received by viewers, perceived winner thereof, whether it changes their percep of either candidate, etc?
But he makes Obama waste time answering. Whenever I was debating and I had to waste precious time answering side digs it took time away from making my own points. It also beat me back from taking the upper hand.
I hope Obama learns the game and makes McCain waste time of his own the next time around.
God, that Pakistan gaffe (McCain). Am I the only one who noticed that?
I thought they were both very good. I wasn’t sure who won. My wife, who is a true (and I mean true) independent, thought McCain dominated.
It seemed to me like the debate gave a clear advantage to McCain, based on the subject matter discussed. Obama was not on his home turf. It might have been very different if more time was spent on social issues.
I’m calling it a net win for Obama, because his main goal was to make himself plausibly presidential.
He’s already done that for everyone on the SDMB, but the general public needed to see him as well spoken, smart, and non dangerous. He achieved this, and more.
Net win for the O man, especially when you consider McCain’s predebate shenanigans.
The, “You don’t say that out loud. You do what you gotta do.”-- that line? (Followed quickly by “Working with the Pakistani government.” Mm hmm.)
I am a fan of Obama so I am biased, but I can’t see how this was a draw. I truly thought Obama outperformed McCain. Maybe I need to step away and look at it fresh after a few hours’ space.
Why is Biden all over the place tonight, and Palin is nowhere to be seen?
Her handlers lost the key to the lockbox they put her in.
ETA: Fear Itself’s line was better. 
As far a presidential debates go…Meh.
Obama was mroe composed and for someone who doens’t debate well it was a net gain for him. McCain did everything I expected him to do.
The problem with these discussions is that they keep talking winner/loser without mutually agreed upon criteria of what constitutes winning.
Blitzer says they were asked why they interviewed Biden and not Palin: “We asked for that interview; we didn’t get it.”
Interesting LiveVote has Obama hammering McCain in the online live vote on MSN.
CNN said they tried but were unsuccessful in getting an interview with her.
Also on MSN:
But there aren’t really any objective criteria; it’s just who came out as the most convincing and presidential, and that’s a very subjective standard.
Valete,
Vox Imperatoris
I would like to go on record as having made that up. 
Everybody’s got their own idea what constitutes winning and losing and I think that’s the best we can do.
Now that you mention it, it’s only creepy in retrospect. When he first came on my radar with that stuff, he was persuasive. I see what you mean about the “There you go again”.