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Politico Playbook Mike Allen

THE BIG IDEA -- Politico's Jim VandeHei, on WJLA ABC 7: 'What was really extraordinary about this is they really didn't seem to be grappling with the severity of the problems around us. ... We see a meltdown of the markets globally, and you see two candidates saying, 'You know what, we're really not going to change ANYTHING about our plans. And we think we can do health care, we can do energy, we can do this, we can do that.' There was no realization; it seemed, of really the severity of the problems.'

Katie Couric, anchor and managing editor of the 'CBS Evening News,' on her post-debate webcast, now sponsored by Intel: 'John McCain did not use the 'M' word tonight, so all those people doing drinking games when 'maverick' is mentioned are going to be sorely disappointed and very sober after tonight's debate.'

Politico's Roger Simon: 'McCain loses by not winning.'

NBC's David Gregory, on 'Today': 'McCain made a specific appeal to the middle class.'

McCAIN's BEST ARGUMENT: 'Senator Obama has never taken on ... the leaders of his party on a single issue.'

OBAMA's BEST BITE: 'Senator McCain suggests that somehow, you know, I'm green behind the ears and, you know, I'm just spouting off, and he's somber and responsible. [McCain interjects: 'Thank you very much.'] Senator McCain, this is the guy who sang, 'Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.'

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Bill Maher gets laughter and scattered boos when he tells Jay Leno that McCain's new slogan is, 'The white Obama.' David Letterman jokes that McCain started last night's debate got off to an awkward start when McCain said to Obama, 'May I call you Joe?'

TOP STORY - DRUDGE BANNER on the debate: 'BORING.' But the N.Y. Post enjoyed it: 'Mac whacks, Bam slams.' N.Y. Daily News: 'Obama, McCain point fingers of blame over nation's woes.' 'Barack Obama' e-mails Playbook after the debate with the subject line 'What did you think?': 'Four weeks from tonight, we'll know which of us will be the next president. The time to make a difference in this election is running out -- please make a donation of $5 or more right now.'

That One ya es parte de la carrera, ups!

Those who are in a wad about this clearly are trying to say it's like THOSE PEOPLE.

ABC's Terry Moran and George Stephanopoulos said it didn't strike them in the moment. Moran: 'I'm not even sure it's that demeaning.' Fox's Major Garrett: 'The Obama campaign only highlighted it for this reason: They believe it was a moment of CRANKINESS from John McCain, and that's kind of a button they like to push on John McCain.'

CBS's Jeff Greenfield picked it as THE memorable moment. CBS's Maria Gavrilovic reports from the spin room in Nashville that the Obama campaign is using the comment to argue that McCain looked 'peevish, irascible, uncomfortable, odd.' Obama's Robert Gibbs used the words 'angry and agitated': 'I guess the pillow seat wasn't soft enough. He stood and walked around.' Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said it was an 'odd' moment. Obama chief strategy David Axelrod noted that last time McCain didn't look at Obama and now he is calling him 'that one.'

Mark HALPERIN's grades at TIME's 'The Page': 'Obama: B+, McCain: B.'

ABC's George STEPHANOPOULOS, with his 'Nightline' report card: 'Obama's two for two. He definitely won tonight. ... Over the course of the two debates, he is answering the number one question Americans have about him: Does he have the experience it takes to serve effectively as president. Over the course, now, of three hours of debates, he is answering that question, minute by minute.'

On Slate.com, John DICKERSON says McCain 'needed a knockout, and didn't get one': 'McCain is in a tough spot. He's behind. Obama has the momentum, and McCain needs to take it away. He didn't necessarily do poorly-and he did much better on foreign policy than on domestic matters. But McCain needed to change the dynamic. You could see him trying. He pressed Obama on his opposition to the surge, the penalty Obama would impose on those who didn't sign up for a health-care plan, even that he was speaking too long. But this was all small stuff. A town-hall debate is a hard place to change the dynamic, and yet there are few opportunities in the remaining 27 days where he has such a big chance.'

Karl ROVE, on Fox's 'Hannity & Colmes': 'On Iraq, look, I thought it was a good exchange. Obama got his shots in, which is we shouldn't have gone in to Iraq. But McCain got the better of the argument because he in essence said: We're there, and the question is, are we gonna win or ... lose, and this man over here favored a policy which would have us lose and which was the wrong policy and called it all wrong when it came to the surge.' So I'm not certain I'd agree that it was necessarily a clear-cut victory for Obama. In fact, I think he actually lost on that question. If you think it's a mistake to have gone into Iraq, you long ago made a decision to be for Obama.'

Terry MORAN at the top of 'Nightline: 'This was a pretty subdued affair. ... The town-hall format here, it seemed to have both Barack Obama and John McCain on their best behavior. ... Going in, the town-hall format was SUPPOSED to be McCain's turf. His candidacy was BUILT on these events, and he came in needing a WIN. ... A few times, McCain tried HUMOR. It didn't really work.'

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