WATERLOO -- John McCain and Barack Obama each won individual victories in Tuesday's debate, but neither did enough to significantly impact the race, local partisans said.

Most said they had already studied the issues and decided who they would support.

So they kept a close eye on how their candidate launched and deflected political attacks, rather than on the specifics of what either said on the issue of the day, the economy.

Many said they expected both presidential contenders to play nice, so Democrats and Republicans both cheered their candidate for not backing down from his opponent.

University of Northern Iowa Republicans watching the first half of the debate at Beck's restaurant on University Avenue in Waterloo expressed relief that McCain, the Republican Party presidential nominee, did not take the advice of pundits and scale down his aggressiveness in an effort to appear steady and presidential.

Patrick Finnegan, an officer for the UNI College Republicans, said McCain smartly called out Obama, the Democratic Party presidential nominee, for his support of congressional pork-barrel projects.

McCain chided Obama last night for supporting a $3 million projector for a Chicago museum.

"I love him to be fierce and fired up and just be himself," Finnegan said. "I like that he calls out who (Obama) is."

At the Democratic debate party at Jameson's Pub, Ritchie Kurtenbach of Waterloo said he thinks Obama won a major victory by appearing more presidential than McCain when he forcefully rebutted the Republican's attacks.

He noted McCain, in an effort to follow agreed upon rules of the debate, repeatedly asked the moderator if he could respond. Obama, he said, more often than not simply offered his rebuttal.

"As a leader, do you ask permission? You either lead, follow or get out of the way. So on leadership, I think Obama stood out," said Kurtenbach, a business representative for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 238.

But McCain did well to connect Obama to congressional Democrats who ignored recommendations from the White House and other Republicans several years ago to more closely regulate mortgage lender giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, said Justin Bartlett, campaign manager for Iowa Senate candidate Walt Rogers, the Republican challenger in Senate District 10 against Democrat incumbent Jeff Danielson.

"McCain linking Obama to that was key," he said.

Molly Grady, a sophomore at UNI, said she was frustrated by McCain's persistent accusation that Obama will raise taxes on the average American, because Obama proposes providing income tax cuts for more Americans than McCain's tax plan.

But in giving her final grade, Grady called it a draw. She appreciated Obama's willingness to stick by his positions because it exuded strength. But she acknowledged McCain offered a personal touch, wandering about the stage and repeating the phrase "my friends" dozens of times.

"I don't think this debate will sway anyone," Grady said. "No one made any major gaffes, no one has been flustered."

Contact Jens Manuel Krogstad at (319) 291-1580 or jens.krogstad@wcfcourier.com.