The winner of last night's Presidential debate was ...

... the undecided voter. I hate to sound Capraesque about this, but if you went into the debate favoring Republican John McCain, you undoubtedly felt he came out ahead, especially when the topic turned to foreign policy and he kept repeating variations on the phrase "What Mr. Obama doesn't understand ... "You undoubtedly forgave him for messing up the name of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or when he referred to Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zaradri as Qadari. (However, I must admit his statement "The average South Korean is three inches taller than the average North Korean. A huge gulag" left me bewildered.)

If you went into the debate supporting Democrat Barack Obama you probably loved the way he seemed to hold his own during the foreign policy debate, where McCain was expected to have a huge advantage, and enjoyed the way he blamed the current financial crisis on programs initiated by President Bush and supported by McCain.

But if you went into the debate without having made up your mind which way you were going to vote, this debate presented a clear difference in the way these two candidates approach the issues the country is facing. It may not have persuaded you to vote one way or another yet -- that may come with future face-offs -- but there was little doubt where these candidates stood and, although they shared the same stage last night, they were not standing in the same spot. Sure, they repeated the same lines they've been using in their stump speeches but seeing the two of them saying these lines side by side was enlightening. Viewers could see that these two individuals would make very different Presidents, especially when it comes to taxes, spending, Iraq and Iran.

It was also clear that these individuals represented two entirely different generations. McCain made repeated references Ronald Reagan, George Schultz and Henry Kissinger, whereas Obama promised voters a budget that could be examined by anyone on a "Google for government."

McCain was the more charming of the two, while Obama was more businesslike than his opponent. Obama was not warm or amusing, but he did come across as Presidential, which he needed to accomplish against a rival who wants to paint him as inexperienced. McCain needed to convince undecided voters that, although he has a product of the past, he has the chops to lead America into the future. It will be interesting to see if he succeeded in that.

To me, this debate signaled the actual start of this Presidential campaign. It will continue next Thursday night with the vice presidential debates.