Obama is making a fool of himself. The last three days of rehersals did not work, Go McCain

McCain is so out of touch when it comes to health care..and if any one thinks that they have real choices now, is living in a dream. The insurance companies make all the decisions. I get to make a choice from a list and if my company changes insurance providers, I have to hope that my current doctor is on the list..and if I need a specific procedure, I need to make sure the doctor writes it up so it will get covered…don't tell me I have choices now…..

McCain keeps bringing up the past administrations and continues to bring up things from the past.. I live in the present and the future and want to know what is going to happen now..

I'll bet McCain's people are screaming, "Not SNIDE, John! Not SNIDE!!"

does the fact obama wants to be buddies with communists and dictators scare anyone else? anyone?

I'm getting dizzy, Obama is going in his usual circles..

Mccain seems to keep focusing on earmarks. If he believes that is the major problem with the economy he is sadly mistaken. I can't believe he spent so much time talking about the same thing over and over. What a waste of time. It was all political. I think McCain is out of touch. He seems to have the mindset that the USA is the same as the floor of the Senate. I think he's been in the Senate too long. The American economy is much more complex.

TELL ME WHY SEN. McCAIN ,WILL NOT LOOK AT SEN. OBAMA, AS HE SPEAKS. ON TOPICS AND , SEN. OBAMA BACKGROUND.

Finally!!…Barack is starting 2 call McCain out… he is just soo pretentious. No Spain, but he'll go to Georgia?….

I agree, I would like to have had the topics switched so the economy would be addressed at this one and the foreign policy in the last one, seems as tho' that would have been more pertinent

Same old, same old from both of these guys

Zowie - Obama finally bites back on the preconditions issue.

obama has no respect and is entitled, by his own admission. how many times has he referred to Senator McCain as "John" and himself as "President". Epitome of arrogance? Not exactly the quality of a leader. Obama is more willing to talk to Ahmadhinejad and Chavez than traditional American allies. This is America and Obama is not Jesus. get real obama

It is stunning to me that both candidates persisted with their preconceived agendas in the face of this historic financial issue. Both candidates seemed to dismissively agree that of course they would vote for the bailouts, then proceed to convince us who would provide the better tax cut!! Unbelievable! I'm more convinced than ever that I will be voting third party for the first time.

OBAMA is responding to the questions intelligently and to the point! Not 2 mention that he has to clear up every lie that McCain says about him and his decisions…any one who has any kind of intelligence that goes beyond basic english would understand OBAMA clearly!!! And know that McCain as all Republicans…just talk say things, pose them as facts…w/o anything 2 back it up!! Seriously, what is McCain talking about?!

I'm getting dizzy… Obama is going is his usual circles…

It is like the campaign trail but we get to see again that McCain will not cut income tax from the well off by not looking at tax code and will have two different forms of income tax…and then he says he will cut spending..does not make any sense! Two forms more room for abuse!

Mc Cain does not know what he is talking about

I agree. I am terribly disappointed with the structure and format of this 'debate' or 'conversation' tonight. I feel that no one has really pinpoint the issues and the moderator has failed to take control of this forum. Surely, McCain scores stronger points on Iraq, but as an American taxpayer, the war is not my only concern. I want to hear a strategy plan on the economy and a proposal regarding a recovery plan. I really feel this has been a complete waste of time.

If it was important enough to McCain to suspend the debate because of the catastrophic events in our economy, wouldn't it be prudent to alter the course of the debate to include a large portion of the discussion to be focused on our financial collapse? That is what is on people's minds tonight. I listened and yet I didn't hear any solutions. I'm no economy maverick but I do understand the big guys are getting bailed out by us, the tax payers. How will that benefit us?

P.S. McCain is doing better than I thought he would.

What is Obama saying? He talks, talks, and talks, but what is his point. Doesn't he know brevity is a virtue. By the time he is finishing his explanation, we could all be blown up. He is quite a speaker, but not a decision maker!!!!!

McCain only cares about the rich. Americans needs to wake up to this fact. Republicans only makes the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

not much new information here. party lines. however mccain seems more believable and human. obama is just regurgitating rhetoric. both of them need to take economics 101. i don't want to go to hell, but i also dont want to live in a socialist state.

Camille, you are an idiot

I believe that McCain is better prepared to be the leader of our nation. I do not want the government telling me what Dr. I have to go to. I own a small business and I doubt if I would be able to keep it if Obama gets elected.

This is suppose to be McCain's turf, but they are doing about even.

McCain better pick it up with the remaining half hour because he is not going to do well on the next two domestic debates.

I Just wonder, where could I get insurance for my family of four for 5000 dollars? Are you kidding??

After all that talk I see we have gained a few things, Obama's bottom up regeneration approach will leave the more affluent sections of the country very worried, while Mcain is on the other hand touting his horn as the great military maverick but exposes no new policies or approaches to any of the problems.

I want the French style debate!!

I believe that it was worth our time. It was very important to get a clear response in regards to Barack's "tax cuts" that McCain seems to have a problem with. Barack did an outstanding job in clearing up the confusion. I think it was worth the time.

I agree, it seems like this talk is going way too fast. Punch-Counterpunch. Other than the hatchet/scalpel comment. There wasn't much memorable there.

God help us all, if these are the two choices we have , where is Ron Paul when we need him, lets draft Ron paul. that is the reason why we should have a third option, they country is ging down the tube and these two are clueless. McCain is simply too old to do anything.

Thank You!!!!!!!!!!

Candy, thank you for all you have been doing. It's nice to see you on there working hard and allowing us to see what is going on out there. You deserve a long vacation after the election….. Come on out to Oregon and we will treat you well.

Wouldn`t it be great if these debates really meant something and ALL of the presidential candidates were allowed to participate? Like we actually lived in a democracy, not a two-party corporate & special interest owned nanny-state?

Yo, America! You really want change? The ONLY way that`s remotely possible is if you throw out the Democrats AND Republicans and vote in one of the other parties. (Yeah, I know - most of you have no clue there are other parties out there, but do a little research and you`ll find them.)

What is up with McCain and his cavalier attitude towards programs. He wants to just cut spending and when Obama says that he wouldn't just "CUT" spending he would look into what needs cut. McCain was all like yeah we need to watch this and that but cut spending. He is so out of touch. I can not have a president that is SO out of touch with common Americans. That is so shocking.

I wish King (so called unbiased pundit) would at least try to be objective. If he is for McCain he should try to be fair in his scoring.

Camille - please tell me what is Obama record on abortion?

You have to remember that the average American citizen hasn't been tuning in until just now. What you've heard over and over again, someone else has just heard for the first time. Not me in particular, but not everyone has been following the Presidential race- so the first debate is going to be very basic.

America knows McCain will say the surge worked and the "world" is better off without Saddam, but should we have went to war in the 1st place should our efforts have been place somewhere else?

I'm for Obama but McCain looks strong.

LOL Candy - they've been campaigning too long! They must be dreaming about their message!

The debate is run by Obama. It appears that McCain is all defensive while Obama is running the show. Obama, clearly defines where he wants the spending to go, McCain only explains that cuts need to be made, but where?

Is McCain even participating in the debate?

I think it is worth a lot of our time. McCain is blowing out hot air. If the americans vote McCain into office we are going to HELL. McCain only cares about the rich and not the poor. McCain does not listen, he does not care. I dont want to go to HELL, what about you

Yes it was, we saw that all McCain thinks is wrong with our economy is earmarks. He does not get it.

Not worth it

I agree Candy, they seem to be repeating what we have heard for a long time on the trail.

Definitely not worth it. Stupid to try to get them to specify spending cuts. Of course they won't do that.