There were debate parties at that location four years ago, but none of them were as well-attended as the one last night.

The place was full (I finally got my food order about an hour after the debate was over) and the crowd was a totally Democratic crowd all the way.

Obama looked and sounded presidential. McCain looked and sounded like a tired, worn-out old man.

Just for fun, here is a musical “tribute” to Sarah Palin which landed in my email box this morning.

WASHINGTON –

A CNN-Opinion Research Corp poll using telephone interviews with 524 adults who watched the debate and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

Who “won” the debate 51% Obama 38% McCain. @60% said both did “better than expected”. 7/10 said each seemed capable of being president.

“Obama was widely considered more intelligent, likable and in touch with peoples’ problems, and by modest margins was seen as the stronger leader and more sincere.” The majority said McCain spent most of the time attacking his opponent.

A CBS-Knowledge Networks survey involved online interviews with 483 selected “Uncommitted voters” who saw the debate. CE +/-4 points. From this group of “Uncommitteds” 39% said Obama won the debate, 24% said McCain. 37% called it a tie. Most critically, 2 out of 3 felt Obama understands their needs than McCain.

The only good news for McCain is mixed- that 68% said he is prepared to be president, but this was unchanged from the same percentage as before the debate. 60% now said they felt Obama is ready — and while a lower score than McCain, it’s a strong 16% improvement from what the same sample of uncommitteds responded before the debate (44%). Far more said their image of Obama had improved as a result of the debate than said it had worsened. McCain’s image had gotten better rather than worse, but by a modest margin.

All of this suggests that in what appears to be a very close race Obama eliminated a great deal of the issues that have allowed McCain to stay close. Given that the second poll were “undecideds” it could portend an even greater climb in results for Obama over the next weeks.

In addition, now that I am senior, my life savings have been lost, twice to Reaganomics. I won’t loose directly this time around for the simple reason that I will not live long enough to reearn and reinvest the amounts that were taken by Kenny Boy Delay, John McCain, Duhyba and his brothers, and all the other happy “Shockingly Aweful” Repugs that have run this great nation into the status of a third world debetor nation.

But this was a debate in the South. Apparently McCain’s handlers were informed by their friends in the area that not showing for the debate would be considered bad manners. And that in the South, ‘manners matter. (heard it on Chicken Noodle). In any case, looking at it from my oh-so-delicately poised undecided rellies’ POV, so glad it didn’t come down to a Jerry Springer brawl.

But we’re already going to vote for Obama. What he needs to do to win is convince the undecideds to vote for him rather than Grampy. And he won’t do that being fearsome or aggressive, he’ll do that by being controlled and presidential.

Do it in a polite manner.

That will put McCoin on notice and may force him to second guess his own lies on the spot. That may upset him enough to blow himself up.

Not possible. You have set the bar so high there is no way he could win your vote. You have already said you probably won’t vote for him.

i was planning to vote for him until he broke his promise re fisa telco immunity and then lied to us about it. my vote has been his to win back since then. last weekend, when obama was reported to have given paulson’s plan to rob the taxpayers some pushback – i applauded him. i see now that his push back was nothing more than kabuki.

if showing some leadership and wisdom in addressing one of the critical issues that confront us is too much to ask, then i guess you are right – i’ve set the bar too high.

I just got my pollworker assignment for Nov. 4. Working with the same crew as the last 5 years, we expect a huge turnout in our red-to-blue neighborhood. In 2004, we had a lot people in line at 8pm; they didn’t finish voting until almost 9pm and Bush carried by a small percent. This year will be worse better, I predict. We may not finish the voting until 10!