Sparks didn’t exactly fly, but ideologies certainly collided last night in the City of Brotherly Love. Pat Toomey and Joe Sestak met to debate for the first time in Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center in a debate moderated by George Stephanopoulos.

Toomey and Sestak, running in a senate race that has functionally become a dead heat, did little last night to move beyond the familiar talking points of their campaigns over the course of the hour-long debate.

As Battle ‘10 reported, discussion ranged from jobs, spending, eduction, and the economy to abortion, Obamacare, and Social Security.

Even Sarah Palin and Christine O’Donnell got brief — albeit derogatory – mentions from Sestak.

But it was Toomey, thanks to a steadier demeanor and sharper rhetorical thrusts, that landed more consistent blows, particularly on spending, abortion, and his advocacy of military trials for enemy combatants.

Toomey and sestak On The Issues

On spending, Toomey relentlessly linked Sestak to serial bailouts, questioning Sestak’s recent claim that supporting them made him “sick.” An incredulous Toomey asked at one point, Sestak ”had to introduce his own bailout bill to require Americans to bail out underwater mortgages?”

Later, Toomey delivered this punchy riposte: ”Joe has no solutions for the big problems that we face. Instead, it’s mischaracterize, dishonest attacks, and if he gets close to a solution, it’s always the same: raise taxes.”

Early on, Sarah Palin’s recent endorsement of Toomey was brought up by a moderator. Palin is not popular among independents, a key group in moderate Pennsylvania. Toomey effectively neutralized the potentially controversial endorsement, responding by welcoming support from “people all arosss the political spectrum.” Sestak rubbed this in, though, calling Palin’s endorsement “coveted.”

On abortion, Sestak began, “Palin, Toomey, O’Donnell, they’d all like to reverse Roe v. Wade,” and said, “I don’t think government should intervene” in private decisions. Sestak’s “extreme view” responded Toomey, is that there should be “no restrictions,” including taxpayer funding of partial birth abortions.

Toomey emphasized his support of a ban on abortions, excepting cases of rape, incest, and health of the mother.

Sestak claimed he didn’t vote for taxpayer funding of abortion, a claim Toomey charged as “dishonest.” Sestak voted against the Stupak amendment that would have banned taxpayer funded abortions.

The two sparred over this, with Toomey finally saying, in one of the more memorable shots of the night, “when you’re being dishonest, I’m going to call you on it.”

Sestak, for his part, hammered Toomey as a friend of big business, and Sestak repeatedly invoked the favorite Tea Party Constitutional phrase “we, the people” in reference to those whom he sought to represent, as opposed to Toomey, would would represent “Wall Street.”

Sestak charged at least four times that Toomey’s campaign proved the maxim, “In war, the first casualty is truth.” Sestak sought to link Toomey to George W. Bush and the economic collapse.

Post-Debate Impressions

In terms of delivery and poise, Toomey was in his element, and it was obvious he had more experience in that type of setting, even while certain references, like comments about Charlie Rangel’s earmarks, probably went over the heads of some watching.

Sestak was aggressive in pushing for more time on certain questions, but often looked at the moderators — rather than the camera — as he spoke, and his hand shook noticeably during periods in the debate.

Toomey won in terms of delivering substantive remarks that were sometimes nuanced, like on Social Security, but without succumbing to evasiveness or bluster.

What Sestak did well, though, with his stiffer delivery and aggressiveness, was look the part of the challenger. Toomey looked very comfortable, which gave him something almost of the air of an incumbent, while Sestak’s more defensive posture lent itself to his scrappier demeanor.

Of course, these last points are merely feelings and impressions, but such things drive campaigns, especially in their final days. How independent moderates and undecided voters respond viscerally to these men after last night (and after Friday) could be critical in determining the winner on Nov. 2.

What About Barack Obama?

One surprising aspect of last night’s meeting was that Pat Toomey didn’t explicitly link Joe Sestak to Barack Obama.

Sestak is on record as describing himself as the president’s “strongest ally,” and in a dead-heat race, in a state where the president has negative favorability, it seemed like a missed opportunity, especially as Sestak specifically linked Toomey to Bush, Palin, O’Donnell, et al.

The two will face off once more for a final debate this Friday evening in Pittsburgh.

Battle ‘10 will provide live coverage and reaction.