OK – I only watched the first hour; I turned it off when it became a competition about who could sound “tougher” on Iran. Things like this make me feel like a crazy Chomskyite left-winger.

I have a hard time putting myself in the mindset of that mythical beast the undecided or “persuadable” voter, so it’s very hard for me to judge who was winning. I tend to think Obama did better because I think his positions are, on balance, the better ones. (The polls seem to agree.)

McCain started off pretty weak I thought, but started to come into his own when the discussion turned to foreign policy. Obama was polished and adroitly deflected most of what McCain threw at him.

I’ve resigned myself to the fact that Obama isn’t going to fundamentally challenge the “war on terror” or broader foreign policy paradigm. He’s taking the John Kerry line: Iraq is a distraction from the central front in the war. Apparently we will never have a debate about reducing our military footprint or what it could possibly be that’s making all those irrational foreigners hate us.

It’s pretty clear that McCain doesn’t respect Obama, whereas Obama was very respectful, almost too respectful, of McCain. Calm, cool, and collected appeals to me, but I wonder if Obama doesn’t need to go on the attack more, show a little more passion. We are talking about life and death here.

Is the election over yet?

P.S. Katrina Vanden Heuvel says it better than I did.

Have Democrats ever won trying to out-hawk the Republicans? (I mean, since FDR, say.)

P.P.S. Marvin is happy. Am I being too hard on Obama?