Here’s my take from the New York Post (noted in the briefing). McCain tried very hard, and probably did better than before, but he’s just not a very good debater (check out Jay’s excellent points) and not a very reassuring presence. He doesn’t come off as an elder statesman, unfortunately. It’s Obama who appears at these forums to be a, I don’t know what, a younger statesman? But he’s always calm and explains himself very well. I’m hoping that Dick Morris is right that McCain found an issue on taxes on Joe the Plumber, but McCain would be in a much better position to attack here if he had endorsed (I know, I know I’m boring myself) a substantial middle-class tax cut. See Ross on this.