A too-close-to-call debate

In a debate that both candidates could ill-afford to lose Friday night, neither did. John McCain proved he was resolute and tough; Barack Obama demonstrated that he was smart and polished. And in this case, a tie could be said to favor either. Polls before the event showed that most voters believed Obama would win, so he may have fallen most short of expectations. But Friday's topic was foreign policy, where McCain enjoys his strongest credentials. Fighting to a draw in his favored area may suggest that he came up short, especially after a week in which he slipped in the polls and struggled to regain his footing.

September 27, 2008