As usual, debates do not go as planned and much is left unsaid while much of what is crucially important is only partially explored.  As expected, the two candidates were up on display and we got a pretty good look at them in their natural habitat as legislators trying to become THE Executive.  Who will be better in that role?  I cannot say from the display last night.  I can say that points were scored off each and I would declare the debate, as a debate, more of a draw than the victory of either of the candidates. It was a tepid and good natured first try.

Mr. McCain unfortunately had G.W. Bush hanging as a weight around his neck and Mr. Obama was able to point this out.  Do we really want four more years of Bush through the agency of Mr. McCain who tried to point out that there really were mistakes made during the last administration of the Second Mr. Bush?  Mr. Obama lost no time making points on this issue.  Mr. McCain winning the election is just the same as continuing the administration of G. B. Bush.

It is just too bad that these debates are held so late at night.  I am not at my best while fighting off sleep and wondering when they would get to the good parts.  Mr. Lehrer did a fine job of trying to get them from wandering into their tried and true canned speeches and answer the questions he posed.  None of those questions caught the full attention of the debaters who fell back into stump speeches. 

For instance, Mr. Mc Cain could not resist telling us over and over again that he was a war hero and he knew from personal experience what is was like to be over there.  He also likes the term “maverick” used to cast him as the odd man out in the Republican circles.  These did not disqualify him, however, to be the Republican candidate and he managed to slip in one mention of his Vice-Presidential colleague who, on many counts, has already proved to be an embarrassment rather than an asset.

Mr. Obama cannot resist analyzing what he is saying and giving point by point declarations or reposts during his two and five minutes.  But he, like McCain, did reply to each other rather than to the safety of the exasperated Mr. Lehrer and, at times, corrected each other on points made in opposition to what each thinks is the truth of the matter.

It was as good a debate as one could expect but Mr. McCain was more wooden than the maverick he claims to be.  Mr. Obama had opportunities like other Democratic candidates to tear his opponent apart.  But that was neither allowed nor expected. Mr. Obama could have been more positive and less tied up with all the words and thoughts the opportunity presented to him. Much was left unsaid.