Reaction begins

Los Angeles Times:

In answer after answer, the two men can’t resist arguing over their prospective records and how they voted on this bill or that bill, despite the general perception that both the questioners in the hall and the audience in general would prefer forward-looking responses.

This may, in part, be one of the wages of having two senators squaring off against each other –- they simply can’t resist lapsing into the tried-and-true debating habits of legislators.

Marc Ambinder:

Obama's reference to his mom's death was pretty powerful...I think his best moment so far. And he seems much more at ease discussing health care and defending his plan than McCain does explaining or defending his.

Karen Tumulty at Time:

Summing up? I'm not sure this was a good night for Barack Obama, but I think it was a bad night for John McCain. And these last two debates were supposed to be his best ones.

Ari Melber at The Nation:

John McCain did not have the debate he needed on Tuesday night.

McCain's style was aggressive, disciplined and occasionally punchy. He heaped criticism on Barack Obama, blasting his record on taxes, health care and earmarks, and at one point derisively called the Democratic nominee "That One." McCain made over 14 references to the candidates' "records," pleading with voters to put aside Obama's words and inspect his history. ...

Before the debate had even ended, the Republican National Committee was already spinning a disappointing night for McCain. In the 10pm hour, an RNC spokesperson sent reporters a post by Politico's Ben Smith, "Not really a town hall," complaining about the format.