By Jim Moore, KOIN political analyst, Pacific University professor

The goal for John McCain was simple. He had to shift the conversation among voters that sees him as erratic, he had to move the focus of the campaign from the economy to the qualifications of Barack Obama, he had to grab this election, shake it up and begin to regain lots of lost ground in crucial electoral college states.

For Barack Obama, the aim was even more simple. He had to continue to appear to be presidential (as befitting the front runner), and he had to provide strong responses to any attacks by McCain.

By the end of the debate, Obama had successfully parried McCain’s jabs. McCain had succeeded in getting Bill Ayers (the 1960s Weatherman) into the debate. Obama had succeeded in dealing with the attacks on his good name at Palin rallies.

The clear winner of the night…

Joe the plumber. Joe got more points addressed to him by both candidates than foreign policy did in all the debates (or at least is seemed that way). We heard about Joe’s health care options, we heard about Joe’s taxes, we heard about Joe’s attempt to buy his plumbing business. Even if Joe does not really work 10–12 hours a day, seven days a week, he sure got a lot of publicity for his new plumbing business.

The format heightened the tension. McCain and Obama sat right next to each other. There was nowhere for them to really look when the other was talking.

The bottom line—this probably will not change the race the way McCain needs the race to change. Two equals, clear policy differences, supporters of both will be relatively happy, but the undecided are still the key.

In the last week or so, those undecided voters have been breaking about 55%-45% (60%-40% in some battle ground states) for Obama. The economy is trumping everything that McCain tries. Doubts about Obama are just not working.

And in all of this, as in the previous debates, neither candidate answered the questions very well. They went off on what they wanted to talk about. Both wanted to talk about John Lewis’s excoriation of the McCain-Palin crowds. And moderator Bob Schieffer wanted them to talk about that. However, on almost every other question, they slid into talking points that we have heard before.

For 2012: how about moderators that actually moderate and guide the discussion. Maybe pointing out that the federal government only provide 6%–7% of total K-12 funding. Platitudes from both candidates get a bit repetitive after the third run through.