JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Those numbers are wide apart, I'm a bit skeptical because of the Democratic slant in the percentage, more Democrats watching the debate. The numbers, significant number of Republicans, and so McCain's numbers are low.
I'm probably the wrong guy to ask this question because I'm very skeptical of these polls taken in the immediate moments after. There's people are watching the debate and your phone rings right after the debate. I'm just very skeptical of these.
I do think heading on to this debate McCain had a much bigger challenge, which is try to take command of the economic argument, which he is losing.
What I would have liked to have seen tonight and I would love to see over the next few day is, what do Independents think? Because, if you look at any polling, any polling and both guys are holding their base; 90 something percent of Democrats are going to vote for Obama, 90 something percent of Republicans with very few exceptions, Virginia one state are going to vote for John McCain. And the question is, what about the Independents.
That will decide who wins Ohio, who wins Missouri, who wins Florida; if John McCain can get back in the game in Virginia and that's what I would like to see.
Read your own damn poll, John. Independents went 57-31 for Obama.
I admit to being quite puzzled by a lot of the instapunditry out there about the debate which seems to agree that at least in the first half McCain did ok. He was horrible. He looked awful and creepy and weird. I don't think he did all that well in any of the debates (missed most of the first one), but in this one he was truly abysmal.