http://www.intrade.com/

…is suggesting McCain was the clear winner. Drudge has a poll in the right hand column, and McCain is winning easily with 72% of the votes (though the DailyKos people will probably play their shennanigans overnight).

Dick Morris says Obama won (and he’s the only one who is saying this, even the Kos Kids are saying it was a tie). Therefore, McCain won.

NEVER EVER RIGHT !!!!!!!!!!!

As I was watching the debate, I was moved when Sen. McCain spoke of the bracelet that he’s worn for over a year of a KIA Soldier. His mother give it to Sen. McCain. He spoke passionately about that bracelet.

He was visibly emotional when he spoke about it, and used it to reiterate a point that we NEED to be in Iraq, so our sons and daughters, and their sons and daughters, don’t have to go there. He was speaking about decisive victory.

The part that prompted this post, however, was Sen. Obama’s reaction. He said he ALSO had a bracelet, and it was visible on his right wrist. But the part that got me?

He had to pause to read the name.

Sen. Obama lost every single shred of credibility with me with that one single act. Anyone who wears a KIA bracelet knows the name, the date of death, and the branch of service by heart. That’s kind of the whole point.

So they aren’t forgotten.

Somebody should tell Sen. Obama that it’s in remembrance. It’s not a “crib sheet”.

McCain caught Obama on the economy. McCain mentioned a freeze in expenditure. Note Obama funked the issue. He waffled. He had to admit that many of his promises could not be fulfilled. So the supposed tax cuts are all hot air. ALL bluff. When it came to it Obama could not take a hard decision on a freeze. Of course business taxes will go up.
Obama was also damaged on earmarks.

To win the next debates McCain needs to sharpen his points on the economy and energy. Obama is a Big Government sitting duck.
McCain must target the middle class more in his statements.

Ever since Sarah Palin was chosen to be the Veep pick he has been brutal on McCain and her. I do believe his misogyny is showing badly.

Clearly most people who have expressed an opinion have stated the obvious, that John McCain won tonight. He won the debate in a landslide, on all fronts. He won it on points, he won it with style, he won it on the facts. You really can’t do much better than that. Granted, as they pointed out repeatedly on Fox, Obama didn’t have any obvious gaffes (although perhaps in the days ahead that thing about Obama needing to read the name on his bracelet to know whose bracelet he was wearing could become the gaffe of the night), but he didn’t need any, he just couldnt overcome the War Hero’s grasp of the facts on every issue. He took to agreeing with McCain, over and over, which was smarter than disagreeing and getting smacked down once again.

After tonight, if McCain can pull off a really sweet deal on the bailout thing, basicly kill the bailout aspects of the bill and turn them into loans, as Newt Gengrich pointed out, basicly making it a free market deal instead of pure socialism, saving the taxpayers a LOT of money in the process, he will move well ahead in the polls. Then if, as I anticipate, Governor Palin defeats Senator Biden in the dbeate, that will effectively clinch the election for McCain.

I do agree with the point made about Krauthammer, his comments about Palin as well as the comments about the debate tonight were just bizarre, very illogical, and misogyny has to be considered the most likely cause. Its a shame that there are a few like that on our side, but we can take pride in noting that there have been FAR more cases of misogyny involving Democrats attacking Hillary earlier this year, than there have been Republicans attacking Palin. Hopefully those few Republicans will go crawl back under their rock and those of us living in 2008 can enjoy the show without their ignorance.

The bottom line is a great night for McCain, a big big win, if he follows it up with a win on the budget he’s going to be a huge favorite, and if that gets followed up by a Palin debate win next week its pretty much all over. Oh what a difference 24 hours can make in politics .