After almost a week of questioning whether or not it would even take place, 57 million people spent their Friday night watching John McCain and Barack Obama go head to head at the University of Mississippi's Ford Center in what is expected to be the first of three presidential debates.
Focusing on foreign policy, national security, and the current financial crisis, the two took to the sparsely adorned stage just after 9 p.m., Eastern Time. Each candidate stood at simple wooden lecterns that were slightly angled towards each other to facilitate actual discussion. These debates, after all, are intended to spark a dialogue between the candidates—a fact they had to be constantly reminded of by moderator Jim Lehrer.
Debate commission officials altered the format of the questioning to include more time for both McCain and Obama to respond to the other’s initial answers. Each candidate had two minutes to respond to Lehrer’s question before sharing an additional five minutes of direct exchanges.
The second debate, scheduled for October 7, will be conducted in a town hall format, with questions coming exclusively from the audience. The third and final contest will take place on October 15, with the two candidates seated together at a table, answering questions about domestic issues. Vice presidential candidates Joe Biden and Sarah Palin will hold their first and only debate this Thursday at Washington University in Saint Louis.
