Over the three presidential debates, Democrat Barack Obama has largely answered doubts about his readiness to be president of the United States.

His unflappable temperament, thoughtful demeanor and rhetorical abilities were impressive.

Republican John McCain’s performances were more uneven, becoming increasingly aggressive. His attack-mode on Wednesday night may have gained some points with his party’s base, but risked turning off independents.

Unfortunately, neither candidate spent much time on a detailed discussion of the financial crisis and recession fears.

McCain offered the curious argument that the campaign tactics — presumably including his own — turned dirty because Obama would not agree to more “town hall” meetings. The logic behind that statement is not clear.

McCain complained of “attack ads” on his health care plan. But criticism of an opponent’s policy proposals isn’t what usually comes to mind when people are talking about “dirty campaigning.”

As Obama noted, the candidates simply have disagreements about health care — and later in the debate the Democratic candidate delivered a sharp critique of drawbacks in McCain’s plan. The Republican nominee failed to answer that critique effectively.

Low points on Wednesday:

 Obama downplayed the cost of the new financial bailout legislation, saying that if the $700 billion program is properly structured, taxpayers would eventually get the money back. Don’t hold your breath on that one.

 McCain improvised wildly on the health care situation, creating a confusing scenario in which “Joe the Plumber” suddenly was rich and owed a fine for not providing “the kind of health insurance that Senator Obama mandates.”
A remarkably deceptive argument, and difficult for the audience to decipher.

The debates gave the American public a good sense of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates and their views on important domestic and foreign issues. But overall, the Democrats turned in the better performances.