To start, right off the block, John McCain remembered folks’ names. And spoke to them kindly. I waited for Obama to pick up on it and follow suit. It took him about 65 minutes to finally remember someone’s name and respond using it. That’s pretty slow for someone who is supposed to be such a great politician. Tsk tsk. Bill would have done it better.

McCain smiled at people. Obama didn’t. At least not like he meant it. He smiled the way my eight-year-old son smiles when he is being asked to do it. And it kind of hurts to see it.

Neither one of them seems to have the basics of the bailout down. And neither one of them seemed to understand how to respond to the question about trading health-care commodities. (Okay, okay — I know they understood — but they willfully chose at that moment to deliver stump speeches about their health plans.) But in both cases McCain’s basic instincts tell him government can’t solve it — and I remember Obama wants big daddy-G to solve everything. More importantly, I remember that McCain stopped and pointed this out.

I remember Obama saying McCain is basically right at least two or three times. I also remember Obama saying “who among us…?” But I can’t remember what came after that… I was too busy being shocked that he actually used the ridiculous phrase that Kerry dished out in 2004. Has Obama been using old rewinds of Kerry debates to prepare? Memo to O: “Silly Obama. Kerry didn’t win. That’s because he sounded arrogant, preachy, and professorial. Kind of the way you sounded at Saddleback. And you did it again last night. Can you really make it out there when you’re not preaching to the converted?” Tuesday night’s debate made me think he can’t. He just can’t sound like a straight talker. He just can’t sound uncomplicated. And he just can’t follow rules.

Which reminds me. I remember that Obama seemed pretty rude when he insisted on responding to McCain’s tax discussion. I also remember the unfamiliar way Obama pronounces “Pakistan.”

I remember that Obama is just way too specific about his foreign-policy plans. To be perfectly honest — I don’t want to know either of their strategies for Afghanistan. Why should we broadcast our strategies around the world? It’s like giving our enemies a road map. Forget it.

Final impression: I remember Obama saying (many times) “here’s what I would do.” McCain, without saying it, told us who he will be. He will be kind, he will smile, he will remember your name. He will follow rules. He will not insist on the last word. And he will be familiar.

— C. R. Hardy was watching the debate instead of working on her dissertation; she is studying for her doctorate in economics at Harvard University.