Obama won tonight. He remained on message stressing the economic concerns of middle-class working voters across the country (including students struggling amid unstable financial ground) who are poised to put him over the edge on Election Day. On policy, he hammered at economic issues thoroughly, the centerpiece of the current campaign (or Issue #1 as CNN says), and seemed more prepared to address the financial crisis in detail. As McCain noted himself, Obama was eloquent—but also far more specific and substantive than the vaguer primary candidate.

Yet McCain’s offensive against Obama, assailing him constantly, was at times effective. (If the tactic in direct exchanges with Obama had been used more consistently in the earlier debates, it would have been more effective tonight.) Only in this third and final presidential debate did McCain more clearly contrast himself with President Bush and emphasize his meaty background in bi-partisan leadership. Perhaps, too little, too late, in an effort to recast himself as a more moderate non-Bush candidate.

At times, Obama failed to defend himself with the same forcefulness and presence (and an arsenal of stabbing comebackers to force McCain on the defensive) as he did in the previous debates, perhaps not wanting to stoop to personal negative politics. Instead, he quickly returned to the voters and their issues rather than engaging in McCain’s “silly politics” or “tit-for-tat attacks.” This civil tone, one Obama has preached across the campaign trail, certainly resonates with supporters, if not the general undecided poll of the electorate. For Obama, the risk of not taking off the gloves is being perceived as meek or effete, but perhaps he proved his strength already after his combativeness in the first debates.

Importantly, Obama clarified confusion surrounding his alleged “radical associations,” and stayed steady, calm, collected—presidential, if you will—throughout, and that perhaps was most key. He appeared once again to successfully project himself as a new leader for a new generation. Bottom-line: while McCain’s best performance yet (three’s the charm, in fact), this debate wasn’t the game-changer the GOP ticket desperately needed (and still needs).

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