Andy McCarthy saw the whole mess, and I fear his take is correct.

Memo to McCain Campaign:  Someone is either a terrorist sympathizer or he isn’t; someone is either disqualified as a terrorist sympathizer or he’s qualified for public office.  You helped portray Obama as a clealy qualified presidential candidate who would fight terrorists.

If that’s what the public thinks, good luck trying to win this thing.

With due respect, I think tonight was a disaster for our side.  I’m dumbfounded that no one else seems to think so.  Obama did everything he needed to do, McCain did nothing he needed to do.  What am I missing?

Mark Steyn agrees.

Rick Warren was the only guy to extract any damaging soundbites from Obama – the “above my pay grade” line. The ludicrous Debates Commission and all its painstakingly negotiated rules – “After a 1 minute opening answer, the opposing candidate will give a 30-second response, after which his opponent will have a 45-second pre-rebuttal to the moderator’s optional follow-up” – is all rubbish, which serves mainly to insulate the Democrat and assist him in his ability to pass himself off as Mister Moderate.

Update:

Steyn later suggests keeping your sunny side up.