Per CBS:
500 uncommitted voters
Winner:
39% Obama
24% McCAin
37% draw
Opinion of Obama improved: 46%
Opinion of McCain improved: 32%
Would make right decisions about economy:
Obama: 66%
McCain: 42%
Would make right decisions about Iraq:
Obama 48%
McCain 56%
Update
Southern political report, 411 undecideds, 42/41 for Obama.
Mark Halperin, speaking for the substance-free, process-obsessed, meta-meta-meta part of the commentariat, gives Obama an A- and McCain a B-.
TNR says the Luntz and Greenberg focus groups went heavily for Obama.
TPM has a CNN poll of debate watchers showing a big win for Obama:
Debate winner 51/38
Handle economy best 58/37
Handle terrorism best 45/49
Handle financial crisis best 54/36
Handle Iraq best 52/47
More intelligent 55/30
Expressed views more clearly 53/36
More sincere and authentic: 46/38
Stronger leader: 49/43
More likeable 61/26
More in touch with your needs and problems: 62/32
60% thought McCain spent more time attacking his opponent, v. 23% Obama.
Able to handle the job:
Obama 69% Yes - 29% No
McCain 68% Yes -30% No
To repeat myself: my analysis of the campaign overall is that this is 1980 in reverse: the voters are sick of Republican rule, not impressed with McCain, really not impressed with Palin, and have been waiting to see whether Barack Obama looks enough like a President to take a flutter on. If that’s the right analysis, then tonight was a huge triumph: Obama at least held his own with McCain on what is supposed to be McCain’s turf.
Yes, I was hoping that McCain would really McGovernize himself. He still might, but he didn’t do so tonight. But he doesn’t have to in order for Obama to score a solid win on Election Day. The actual human voters saw on the stage tonight simply was not the unprepared, naive, vague, irresponsible, un-American crook and fake messiah the Republicans have been trying to describe to them.
