Polls: Obama Wins Debate Pundits: No Game Changers

Pundits saw a close debate last night, with both candidates holding their own, but early polling pointed to a win for Barack Obama. John McCain, often on the offensive, seemed to have the edge, but “there were no real game changers,” Greg Sargent writes on Talking Points Memo. A quick CNN poll found 51% of viewers believed Obama had performed better, compared to 38% for McCain.

A CBS poll found that 39% of undecided viewers believed Obama won the night, 25% thought McCain had dominated, and 36% believed it was a draw. Meanwhile, Michael Tomasky, writing in the Guardian, labels the event “the most confusing debate ever,” with each candidate scoring surprise points on the other’s ground. Obama didn’t hit McCain hard enough on the economy, but he managed to “nullify” McCain’s advantage on national security.
(More Election 2008 stories.)