Don’t sell the “Average Joe” short. The Average Joe in America is anything but average. McCain will get a 1-3% bump in the polls from this debate.
It required no interpretation of nuanced ideas and positions to see clearly in this debate who was a novice that clearly is well out of his element. You could discern easily from this debate that one man had studied foreign policy and that the other had lived it. Obama is the Dems version of an outsourced candidate. When you call his help line when you need him, you can tell he is reading from a troubleshooting crib sheet. When life strays away from the troubleshooting guide, he is exposed for the Post Turtle he is.
I think working in an office full of libtards have jaded my view. I certainly hope you are right. I thought McCain looked witty, intelligent, patient with an unruly child, and very presidential (and I had contemplated sitting out the Presidential election until recently!).