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Must warn my readers that I'm having excruciating back and rib spasms tonight that are only partially responding to Baclofen because I stupidly did twice as much housecleaning as my body can handle (which apparently amounts to dusting one and a half rooms and cleaning some area rugs). Between fibrofog from the pain and Baclofen-induced loopiness, I have no idea if the following will be coherent....

Was looking forward to the "town hall" style of the debate because I thought Obama would be in his element. He loves to schmooze with the people and always looks as though he's listening intently to whatever question is being asked. He seems to get fired up in front of a live audience.

But last night, he just didn't wow me as much as I had expected him to. Oh, he was still well-spoken and personable, but the fire seemed absent. I don't know if he was just tired or if he had been advised to play it safe because he was ahead in the polls, but he seemed sort of...ordinary.

With McCain trailing going into last night's debate, this was his big chance to sway the undecided voters, particularly young voters. He failed, big time. Oh, no major election-losing gaffes, but referring to Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan as his buds probably did nothing to impress people who were born after Reagan took office.

The questions had been chosen ahead of time from both people in the audience and elsewhere. Tom Brokaw was the moderator, but he almost didn't need to be there because both candidates ignored the debate guidelines they'd agreed to, went past time limits, strayed off subject, and did everything but tell Brokaw to shut up. Format-wise, it was a free-for-all.

Still, some good questions did get through. My favorite was this: "How can we trust either of you with our money when both parties got us into this global economic crisis?" Obama acknowledged there was good reason to have lost faith in elected officials, but McCain was more wishy-washy.

One thing that annoyed me during the first debate did not change much during the second: McCain's condescending tone. He said repeatedly during the first debate, "what Senator Obama fails to understand"....like he was talking about a child. Last night, he included the American people in his dismissiveness when he said things like us not knowing what Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were.

McCain did try harder this time to push his health care ideas, particularly the part about giving American families a $5000 credit to be used to purchase insurance. This sounds pretty good until you realize that it costs $12,000 a year to insure a family of four. Where is that family supposed to come up with the other $7000? And I'm still incensed that he voted against insurance for children.

Obama's health insurance plan will probably have problems going through Congress, but I feel it is preferable to McCain's. For one thing, all kids will be covered. And probably most importantly, there will be no more denying benefits due to pre-existing conditions, which would be a huge relief to those of us with chronic ailments.

Overall, I'd say Obama was good but not fantastic, and McCain was preaching to the Republican choir. McCain really needs to step up his game in the next debate if he wants to gain any more undecideds. And I wouldn't mind if Obama were a bit more dynamic next time.