For me, it was an OK debate. A lot of emotion and a little bit of anger. But nothing new from either one of the two. How they spoke and what they said is common this late in a campaign game. They were cautious candidates, very cautious to avoid trying a Hail Mary because if the hail fails, it’s grounds for a big, bad, debilitating headline about the candidate who tried it. Trump was Trump in primetime Tuesday night, trashing Harris, describing her as being not up to the job of President. Harris was Harris, trashing Trump, but reasoning she’s not as effective a trasher as Trump. So then, on to debating the economy and foreign affairs. Comfort zones for Harris. Scary zones for Trump. But nonetheless hopeful zones for millions of television viewers wanting but not getting enough reliable information to help us decide how to vote. What we were getting, in my opinion, was the ever-so-ordinary attempts to knock each other out of the game. She’s saying he tells lies and is unfair as a debater. He’s saying that’s what she does and who she is. Which leads me to say that’s what both of them did because that’s what most politicians in heated competition often do. Much of what Harris argued, Trump argued the opposite, which will go on now for about two months, leading to demands for and the possibility of a second debate. The media was the media Tuesday night cable TV, CNN and MSNBC declaring Harris the winner. Fox declaring Harris the loser. Come on, you candidates and you talking heads on TV. How about treating us to a second and even a third debate? Maybe one night or two. Just before we vote.

Walter Jacobson gives his Perspective: