The first presidential debate moved forward Friday evening in Oxford, Miss., despite the recent financial crisis on Wall Street.

Even though foreign policy was the main topic in this debate, domestic policy was a hot subject. Presidential candidates John McCain (R-Ari.), and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), touched on issues from foreign oil dependency to nuclear power, and globally from Afghanistan to Russia.

College Democrats President Tony Wadas said he was hoping for more exchanges between the candidates.

“The moderator kept trying to get both candidates to speak to each other but Sen. McCain never really addressed Sen. Obama directly,” Wadas said.

Others said the main point of the debate is to prove differences between the candidates.

“Sen. McCain had great answers and kept challenging Sen. Obama on numerous issues, bringing up his voting record again and again,” said College Republicans President Meagan Szydlowski.

For the current economic crisis, Obama wants consistent responsibility, while McCain demands accountability in Washington and Wall Street.

Obama declared fundamentals of the economy should be for middle class citizens. McCain, however, announced he would keep taxes low and repeated that spending needs to be cut in Washington.

Obama wants to see more exploration for alternative energy sources within the U.S., “in Ohio and Michigan and not Japan,” he said. However, McCain’s plan includes eliminating foreign oil dependence by creating jobs through offshore oil-drilling and more nuclear power plants.

Some students want their president to concentrate on issues at home, rather than problems around the world.

“The way the country is heading, there’s no emphasis on the values this country was founded on. Look at the way things are; the economy is falling apart, there’s no money. We should focus on the problem at home before going somewhere else,” said junior finance major Omar Ghoghawala.

McCain sees Iraq as the central battleground, while Obama’s plan is to “give Iraq back its country” and concentrate on the worsening situation in Afghanistan.

However, others feel that foreign countries will help the U.S.

“I believe we benefit from international experiences because most contacts are international, and they benefit the states. We should work over there and then here,” said Victoria Toussaint, a graduate assistant for the Study Abroad Office.

McCain said Pakistan’s government needs a new strategy, while Obama says Pakistan is a safe haven for al-Qaida and the Taliban and that Pakistan needs to cooperate with the U.S.

McCain’s plan is to work with Russia and insists there will be “no Cold War again.” Obama said a “resurgent threat of Russia” can follow the likeness of al-Qaida.

Others say the U.S. should only worry about issues within our borders.

“I think it’s only right to take care of our own citizens. It’s nice to help people, but we should worry about what’s close to home than far away,” said senior history major Mike Sadowski.

The vice presidential debate will be Oct. 2 at 8 p.m. CST Thursday, at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.