In First Debate, McCain's Foreign Policy Seemed Like Yesterday's News

The first presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain is over and we are left with the question -- Was that the best he can do?

McCain, the supposed master of foreign policy, tried to come across as more learned and accomplished than the younger Obama, saying repeatedly that Obama was naive or didn't understand.

But most of the time, the 72-year-old senator seemed not to understand. McCain gave rambling answers to questions, getting lost in long lists of countries he visited and foreign leaders he met that seemed to have no relevance to the question he was trying to answer.

Obama, meanwhile, gave crisp, sharp answers as to how he would deal with the war in Afghanistan and with countries such as Pakistan and Iran. He demonstrated superior judgment on the war in Iraq, insisting that the U.S. should stop spending $10 billion a month there while the Iraqi government sits on a $79 billion surplus from oil profits.

While McCain was talking about Alexander the Great, Obama was connecting to average Americans with his positions on cutting taxes for 95 percent of Americans, dealing with the financial crisis, and weaning the country away from dependence on foreign oil.

Obama went a long way toward reassuring undecided voters that he is ready to lead.

In the post-debate interviews, Sen. Joe Biden summed up McCain's performance, saying he was shown to be "dead wrong" on issue after issue.

McCain's running mate Sarah Palin said .... Well, she didn't say anything. She didn't do any post-debate interviews.

And that about sums that up.