-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama hammered away at each other 's judgment on the economy , domestic policy and foreign affairs as they faced off in their second presidential debate . Obama tried to tie McCain to President Bush 's `` failed '' policies , while McCain pushed his image as a `` consistent reformer '' at the debate , which took place at Belmont University in Nashville , Tennessee . The debate was set up as a town hall meeting , and the audience was made up of undecided voters . Obama and McCain fielded questions from the crowd , Internet participants and moderator Tom Brokaw of NBC News . The candidates spoke directly to each other at times , but at other times they spoke as if their opponent were not on the same stage , a few feet away . Debate report card In comparison to the first debate , Tuesday 's event -- which came on the heels of several days of increasingly aggressive attacks from both sides -- took on a more contentious tone . On foreign policy , McCain charged that Obama `` does not understand '' the country 's national security challenges . McCain said he knows how to handle foreign affairs and questioned Obama 's ability to do so . Analysts weigh in on the debate '' `` Sen. Obama was wrong about Iraq and the surge . He was wrong about Russia when they committed aggression against Georgia . And in his short career , he does not understand our national security challenges , '' McCain said . `` We do n't have time for on-the-job training , my friends . '' McCain said the `` challenge '' facing a president considering using military force `` is to know when to go in and when not . '' `` My judgment is something that I think I have a record to stand on , '' McCain said . Video highlights of key moments '' Obama shot back and questioned McCain 's judgment in supporting the invasion of Iraq . `` When Sen. McCain was cheerleading the president to go into Iraq , he suggested it was going to be quick and easy , we 'd be greeted as liberators , '' he said . `` That was the wrong judgment , and it 's been costly to us . '' The candidates spent about 30 minutes of the debate focusing on foreign affairs . They spoke about the economy for about 45 minutes and spent 15 minutes discussing domestic issues . See scenes from the debate '' A national poll of debate watchers suggested that Obama won the presidential debate . Post-debate poll Fifty-four percent of those questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released 30 minutes after the end of the debate said that Obama did the best job , while 30 percent said McCain performed better . The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted by telephone with 675 adult Americans who watched the debate . All interviews were taken after the end of the debate . The survey 's sampling error is plus or minus 4 percentage points . iReport.com : Tell us who you think won round two At the start of the debate , Obama said the country is in the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression . He blamed President Bush and McCain for the crisis , saying they had worked to `` strip away regulation . '' Bush : The elephant in the room McCain said the system in Washington `` cries out for bipartisanship '' and pushed his record as a reformer . He proposed having the government buy up and renegotiate bad home loans to stabilize the property market . He admitted the plan would be expensive but said it was necessary . Watch McCain talk about his plan for the economy '' The Arizona senator also hammered away at his rival 's tax policies , saying that `` nailing down Sen. Obama 's various tax proposals is like nailing Jell-O to the wall . '' Watch McCain slam Obama 's tax plan '' McCain charged that `` Obama 's secret that you do n't know '' is that he would increase taxes on small business revenue , which he said would lead to job cuts . Fact check : Did Obama vote 94 times for higher taxes Obama shot back , saying `` the Straight Talk Express lost a wheel on that one . '' `` Let 's be clear about my tax plan and Sen. McCain 's , '' he said . `` I want to provide a tax cut for 95 percent of Americans . '' Watch Obama talk about his plan for the middle class '' The candidates talked about their plans to revamp the health care system . Obama said the country has a `` moral commitment as well as an economic imperative '' to address the health care problem . The Illinois senator said health care is a `` crushing burden '' for small businesses and is `` breaking family budgets . '' Obama said health care was a `` right , '' while McCain said it was a `` responsibility . '' Watch the candidates debate health care '' Obama and McCain both proposed computerizing medical records to reduce costs and limit errors . Obama 's health care plan includes the creation of a national health insurance program for individuals who do not have employer-provided health care and who do not qualify for other existing federal programs . His plan does not mandate individual coverage for all Americans , but requires coverage for all children . McCain opposes federally mandated universal coverage . He believes competition will improve the quality of health insurance . McCain says he would reform the tax code to offer choices beyond employee-based health insurance coverage . McCain argued that Obama 's plan included fines for small businesses that did not insure their employees , while his was based on `` choice '' rather than `` mandates . '' Immediately after the debate , Obama 's campaign highlighted a moment when McCain sought to criticize Obama for supporting the 2007 Bush-Cheney energy bill : `` It 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 , '' McCain said . `` You know who voted for it ? You might never know . That one . You know who voted against it ? Me . '' Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton immediately e-mailed reporters noting McCain 's seemingly peculiar reference to the Illinois senator . `` Did John McCain just refer to Obama as ` that one ? ' '' Burton asked . Obama campaign highlights ` that one ' McCain and Obama will face off for a third and final time next Wednesday at Hofstra University in Hempstead , New York .