NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama debated for 90 minutes last night before a nation in economic crisis, each promising anxious Americans that he had the better plan and vision to lead the country through what both men said was the most dire financial situation since the Great Depression.

The gravity of the moment and the somber setting - a town hall-style meeting in front of 80 selected voters who, when not asking questions, watched in silence, not applauding or laughing - produced an often stifled encounter, largely absent of dramatic confrontations or the personal exchanges that dominated the campaign over the past several days. There was no indication that the debate did anything to change the course of a campaign that appeared to be moving in Obama’s direction.

McCain chose not to use the evening - the second of three scheduled debates - to attack Obama’s background or character. But in a moment that caught the attention of people in both parties, he appeared agitated in criticizing Obama for a Senate vote he cast, referring to his opponent only as "that one."

Obama placed the blame for the financial crisis on deregulation and the lack of fiscal discipline under President George W. Bush, whom he repeatedly linked to McCain. McCain, at every opportunity, presented his opponent as an advocate of spending and higher taxes while presenting himself as pragmatic, willing to reach across the aisle and sometimes at odds with Bush.

McCain sought to break through by highlighting a proposal under which the Department of Treasury would buy up mortgages that had gone bad and, in effect, refinance them at prices homeowners could afford.

Arriving in Nashville for the debate, McCain was under pressure to alter the dynamic of the race, with polls giving Obama an advantage nationally and in most battleground states and just four weeks left until Election Day. There were no obvious dramatic breakthrough moments by McCain; indeed, although the two men pummeled back and forth, it was Obama who more consistently drew sharp contrasts between the voting records and campaign promises of the two.

McCain kept his distance from the types of attacks on Obama’s background and character begun in recent days by his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin. Not only did he not mention Bill Ayers, the 1960s radical whom the McCain campaign - and Palin in particular - has sought to link to Obama, he did not mention Palin once.

Instead, standing in what he has long described as his favorite campaign setting - a town hall meeting, though one set up under extraordinary strict restrictions that limited any interaction between candidates and voter - he seemed more the McCain of an earlier campaign, repeatedly presenting himself as the agent who could end partisan division in Washington. Again and again, he criticized Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, invoking the names of such Democratic senators as Ted Kennedy and Russ Feingold, as well as his friend Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, who ran for vice president as a Democrat in 2000 but this year, as an independent, has endorsed McCain.

"I have a clear record of bipartisanship," he said "The situation today cries out for bipartisanship. Sen. Obama has never taken on his leaders of his party on a single issue. And we need to reform."

In a moment that suggested McCain’s impatience with his opponent, he described the differences between the two candidates on energy policy.

"By the way, my friends, I know you grow a little weary of this back and forth; there was an energy bill on the floor of the Senate, loaded down with goodies, billions for the oil companies, and it was sponsored by Bush and Cheney," he said. "You know who voted for it? You might never know."

He cast his arm at Obama. "That one," he said. "You know who voted against it? Me."

Obama appeared well-prepared to parry McCain’s criticisms, matching him statistic for statistic as they argued over domestic and foreign policy.

"Sen. McCain and I actually agree on something," Obama said. "He said a while back that the big problem with energy is that for the last 30 years politicians in Washington haven’t done anything. What McCain doesn’t mention is he’s been there 26 of them and during that time he voted 23 times against alternative fuels."

At another point, McCain criticized Obama as saying he would speak, without preconditions, to the leaders of countries such as Pakistan, quoting Theodore Roosevelt - at first incorrectly - explaining the way he would deal with leaders of foes.

"You know, my hero is a guy named Teddy Roosevelt," he said. "Teddy Roosevelt used to say walk softly - talk softly, but carry a big stick. Sen. Obama likes to talk loudly."

Obama raised his hand to respond as moderator Tom Brokaw of NBC News struggled to hold the two men to the restrictive rules they had agreed upon.

McCain again seemed particularly comfortable when the questioning turned to foreign policy, suggesting that his opponent was inexperienced and lacked judgment in issues such as how to deal with Pakistan. Four times, McCain invoked Gen. David Petraeus, who now oversees the military command for both Iraq and Afghanistan and was an early proponent of sending more troops to Iraq.

As he did a number of times during the evening, Obama sought to counter the line of argument McCain had also stressed during their first debate, that Obama was unschooled in matters of national security.

"Sen. McCain suggests that somehow, you know, I’m green behind the ears and, you know, I’m just spouting off and he’s somber and responsible," he said. "Sen. McCain, this is the guy who sang, ‘Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran,’ who called for the annihilation of North Korea. That I don’t think is an example of ‘speaking softly.’ "

The debate provided the most intimate encounter the two candidates have shared in the course of the campaign. On nearly every question, both men left their stools, with microphones in hand, and walked across the red-carpeted stage to speak directly to the audience.

McCain had originally proposed that the two men engage in a series of town hall meetings across the country over the summer. Obama at first signaled interest in that, but, after what appeared to be a fitful round of negotiations, that effort fell apart amid clear indications that Obama did not share the same passion for the event.

McCain made mention of that the moment he took the stage.

"Sen. Obama, it’s good to be with you at a town hall meeting," he said.

Obama let that pass.

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