KEY POINTS:
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Verdict: Obama win
John McCain fumbled his way through the economic portion of the debate, while Barack Obama seemed clear and confident. McCain was more fluent on foreign affairs and scored points by repeatedly calling Obama naive and inexperienced. McCain's talk of experience too often made him sound like a tinny echo of the 20th century ... If he was reaching for Reagan's affable style, he missed by a mile, clenching his teeth and sounding crotchety where Reagan was sunny and avuncular.
THE WASHINGTON POST
Verdict: Draw
The biggest [difference] between the two candidates may boil down to one ... that the campaign has showcased, which is their differing leadership styles. Obama has been deliberative on foreign policy, sometimes to the point of looking indecisive: he has some 300 advisers. McCain takes counsel from a far smaller circle and sometimes seems to leap to bold conclusions ... Which would respond better to a crisis? That may be the most important question that voters have to weigh.
WALL STREET JOURNAL
Verdict: Draw
Neither candidate broke from talking points, neither one made a gaffe, and both men won on the grounds where they are most comfortable - McCain on foreign policy, and Obama on domestic issues ... What neither man showed was any real insight about our financial market issues, or any political courage in offering a solution. Perhaps this is rooted in the traditional calculation not to make a mistake in a close race. But if Americans were looking for guidance on how we got here and where to go from here, they didn't find it.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Verdict: Draw
In a debate that both candidates could ill-afford to lose, neither did. McCain proved he was resolute and tough; Obama demonstrated that he was smart and polished ... For all the talk of race and gender in this year's historic campaign, the much-anticipated contest was more vividly a contest of generations. It was a debate, mostly civil though occasionally cranky, between a tough old man and a polished young one ... The debate did not saddle either candidate with a gaffe, much less eliminate one.
- OBSERVER
