As expected, both campaigns are claiming victory in last night's presidential debate. But a rare consensus has arisen among pundits and the news media: Mitt Romney won, and President Obama let him.
"Like an NFL team sitting on a 10 point lead with 4 minutes left, President Obama went into his 'prevent defense' last night," said The Christian Science Monitor. Bad idea. "He doesn't have a 10-point lead; he's up by one or two."
The president's "weary cadence throughout the night was a sad contrast with Romney's sunny intensity and articulate flow of figures and facts, even if some of the facts were questionable."
The Washington Post lauds Romney's performance. "Romney managed to highlight his top campaign themes - calling for lower tax rates, less regulation, the repeal of "Obamacare" - while largely fending off Obama's demands for details on how to pay for his proposals or safeguard Americans' health and well-being."
Obama also fell short in their eyes, refusing to use some of his best barbs. "Neither Obama nor the debate's moderator, meanwhile, pressed Romney on some of his most vulnerable points. They included Romney's claim that 47 percent of Americans are docile dependents on the government, a topic heavily featured in TV ads and public conversations the past two weeks."
Fox News was almost giddy. "Mitt Romney energized his campaign for president Wednesday night, charging out of his first debate having, by most accounts from both sides of the political spectrum, dominated President Obama in a standoff for which he was evidently well-prepared," they said.
"The Republican nominee was quick on his feet, polished and feisty as he repeatedly cut off the moderator and challenged his opponent on the facts. His central argument -- that Obama's economic policies have consigned the middle class to an eroding 'status quo.'"
And CNN's David Gergen says last night's debate put Romney back in the race. "What an upset!
Before the first presidential debate, voters were telling CNN by nearly a 2-1 margin that they expected an Obama victory. Many commentators were ready to hold a coronation for the president. Now, by more than a 2-1 margin, voters who watched the debate are saying that Mitt Romney won it -- and we have a horse race on our hands."
The New York Times saw Romney present himself as a credible challenger. "At the presidential debate tonight, Mitt Romney looked and sounded presidential. President Obama failed to step in and puncture that image."
But the Los Angeles Times was more measured in its response. "I don't agree with some of the panicked pro-Obama tweeters who thought the Republican candidate 'owned' Obama, but Romney was much more commanding and at ease than I would have expected.
And they are less harsh with the president's performance, though they still fault his lackluster defense of his policies. "At times Obama rambled and missed some obvious opportunities (what happened to the 47%?). But he had his moments too: I thought he was effective in attacking Romney on block-granting Medicaid and the supposed superiority of private healthcare for the elderly. (Nice deployment of the AARP here). Obama was less adroit in countering the perfectly predictable Romney argument that 'Obamacare' raids $716 billion from Medicare."
But perhaps NBC is right in taking the long view about this particular debate, the first of three between the two candidates. "Neither candidate seemed to achieve any breakout moment, and two additional debates throughout October could prove more pivotal to the election's outcome."