McCain, for his part, drilled home his message that federal spending must be radically scaled back, going so far as to advocate a "spending freeze" on most government spending, save veterans issues, defence spending and "other vital issues."
While accusing Senator Obama of being at the forefront of irresponsible Senate requests for spending, McCain also championed himself as an enemy of "pork-barrel and earmark" spending, claiming that he has never won the US Senate's "Ms Congeniality contest."
But Obama, as he was to do several times throughout the night, interrupted Senator McCain to clarify the issue and accuse Senator McCain of misrepresenting his record. On issues of finances, the federal budget and the economy, Obama only really waffled when pressed to pinpoint how the current financial crisis would affect his ability to see through his economic plan.
Conceding that tax revenues would likely be down in the future, Obama hemmed and hawed about what exact programmes or policies he would trim, eventually saying that his renewable energy plan might be altered. Meanwhile, McCain carried off the economic discussion rather decisively, but seemed strident in his efforts to remove himself from a voting record that ties him to George W Bush, corporate tax loopholes and big oil's recent record profits.
If the economic debate was an unexpected wash, so too was the foreign policy component.
Image: Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama speaks during the debate.
Photograph: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Also read: It's time to change America, says Obama
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