The New York Times ' Stevenson and Toner lead with the candidates' differing over the Iraq war: "Fresh start" vs. "The right thing," and calls the matchup "a strikingly personal and bitter debate." LINK
The Wall Street Journal 's John Harwood and Jackie Calmes lead with the "misleading" vs. "experience and consistency" arguments laid out on Iraq and terrorism. And we just like anyone Noting that "the vice president mostly maintained his characteristic poker face." LINK
The San Francisco Chronicle's Zachary Coile calls last night's matchup "a stark departure from the kindler, gentler vice presidential debate four years ago," writing that Cheney and Edwards picked up where Bush and Kerry left off last week — and some say they did it a little better. LINK
The New York Daily News reports Cheney kept it short and sweet following praise from Sen. Edwards for loving his gay daughter, Mary Cheney. "Let me simply thank the senator for the kind words he said about my family and our daughter."
"That's it?" moderator Gwen Ifill asked. "That's it," the conservative veep replied. LINK
Cheney versus Edwards: analysis:
The verdict in many corners: No clear winner, but both sides held the ground that was broken last week.
The New York Times ' Adam Nagourney writes that if Cheney came into the debate seeking to halt the Bush-Cheney "slippage," Edwards "succeeded at blocking him for much although certainly not all of the night." LINK
Al Hunt of the Wall Street Journal writes that both performances were "good, if sometimes flawed." And continuing his "hang out with x on debate night" series, he wraps in comments from Vin Weber and Vic Fazio. LINK
"In a spirited and at times fierce debate, Vice President Dick Cheney and Sen. John Edwards made it clear that both presidential campaigns believed this election could turn on a single question: Will the race be more about the record of George W. Bush or that of John F. Kerry?," leads Ron Brownstein's Los Angeles Times piece where he further pursues his spotlight theory. LINK
"But if they were evenly matched on the substance — which for the first 45 minutes covered much of the same ground as the presidential debate — their styles could not have been more at odds. Edwards grinned easily and gestured demonstratively; only a slight tremor in his hand at the debate's start betrayed his nerves. Cheney, elbows on the table, hands clasped, was serious and stern, delivering his barbs at Edwards acidly. It quickly became clear that Edwards would not be intimidated by Cheney … ," writes the Washington Post 's Dana Milbank. LINK
The New York Times ' Alessandra Stanley surveys the scene played out on TV: Edwards not showing "as much lawyerly cleverness as one could have expected," and Cheney not blowing his stack. LINK
Peter Canellos of Boston Globe fame thinks that the "presidential campaign had descended to a new level of acrimony with last night's vice presidential debate."LINK
USA Today 's Susan Page thinks it was "fast-moving, largely substantive and at times quite fierce." LINK
The San Francisco Chronicle's Marc Sandalow writes that it's obvious both sides neither like nor trust one another. LINK
The Chicago Tribune's Rick Pearson calls it a "sharp-elbowed debate over the credibility to lead a country at war." LINK
The Chicago Tribune's Jeff Zeleny writes that it was "a fresh opportunity to carry on their bosses' bitter quarreling." LINK
Joseph Curl Notes "The same political pundits who proclaimed Sen. John Kerry the winner of the first presidential debate last night gave the nod to Vice President Dick Cheney, saying he had bested Senator John Edwards in their debate by clearly illustrating the large stature gap between the two vice-presidential candidates." LINK
Knight Ridder's Thomma and Stearns heard "sharp personal attacks delivered in unemotional tones." LINK
Walter Shapiro calls it the "ruckus at the roundtable." LINK
Bob Novak's headline reads: "Cheney hit Kerry, but only managed tie with Edwards." LINK
Can you figure out which headline is Deborah Orin's news analysis and which is her commentary? — "Cheney comes out swinging." And "Bush's man shows boss how it's done." LINK and LINK
The Raleigh News & Observer's Bonner and Christensen write, "The crackling debate was tough and substantive but civil …" LINK
The Philadelphia Daily News's Gar Joseph (in a piece about whether it matters who won) writes, "U.S. Sen. John Edwards shed his puppy-dog image. It never did square with the facts." And "Vice President Dick Cheney, meanwhile, confirmed that he is always going to be the grown-up in the room: gruff, confident and able to take the strap to a youngster who gets out of line."LINK
The New York Post 's Ian Bishop took a straw poll of 20 D.C.-area undecided voters (er … ok). They scored it a win for Cheney. LINK
The New York Times ' editorial board is super excited about the substance of the VP debate. LINK
USA Today 's ed board thinks both men gave "the sense that they'd be competent should they be forced to assume the presidency in crisis." LINK
A slew of Boston Globe opinion writers take a stab at who one the debate.
Lehigh calls it a draw: LINK
Cathy Young also ties it up. LINK
Joan Vennochi claims Cheney was on the defensive. LINK
And Derrick Jackson says "Dick Cheney was the grump." LINK
Democratic pollster Mark Blumenthal on the Post -debate polls: LINK
"My first impression, based largely on the ABC survey results, is that among the debate was essentially a 'draw,' in that it reinforced existing opinions of debate viewers. The CBS survey suggests a better performance for Edwards among uncertain voters, but the release leaves out a few details that might give us greater confidence in the result. If Gallup surveyed poll watchers last night, I can't find it online."
"As the ABC release notes prominently, they showed an overall 'win' for Cheney largely because Republicans were more likely than Democrats to tune in to the debate (a finding that indirectly supports the notion that Cheney's continuing presence on the ticket helps motivate the GOP base)."
Cheney versus Edwards: fact check:
Tom Shales thinks that Cheney's false claim he had never met Edwards before was the night's zinger. LINK
The New York Times ' David Rosenbaum offers up a fact check on Iraq and al Qaeda, weapons votes, al Qaeda, Halliburton, the costs and casualties incurred in Iraq, taxes, Afghanistan, jobs, and voting records: LINK
The Washington Post 's Kessler and VandeHei fact check. LINK
The New York Times acknowledges that the subways were NOT closed during the convention. LINK
Cheney versus Edwards: the battlegrounds and the voters:
The debate produced not significant change in opinion among voters who watched in Central Florida. LINK
Under a Cleveland Plain Dealer headline: "No K.O." is this: LINK
"The prime-time debate between Cheney, the Republican, and Edwards, the Democrat, ended so far short of a knockout punch for either contender that uncommitted voters will probably stay uncommitted for now."
"Debate full of punches" blares the Columbus Dispatch headline over an article that states Cheney and Edwards "gave not ground … " LINK
The Cincinnati Enquirer quickly looks ahead to Friday in its lede debate story. LINK
"The hard-hitting debate between Vice President Dick Cheney and Democratic rival John Edwards set the stage for what is likely to be more of the same in Friday's second televised presidential showdown between their bosses."
Philadelphia Inquirer political writer Dick Polman calls the debate "a bare-knuckled duel between drawl and monotone." LINK
The Philadelphia Inquirer's Landay and Borenstein do some stellar fact-checking. LINK
The front page of the Philadelphia Daily News is the veep candidates with their fists up under the headline "Nasty Boys: Gloves Off in Cheney Edwards Veep Debate."LINK
Maeve Reston of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports on Spin Alley. LINK
This Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sub-head sums it up: "Republican says Kerry on wrong side of defense; Democrat says war mismanaged."LINK
In the Register's take on the debate: State Democratic Party Chair Gordon Fischer didn't like the Vice President's comment about "some precinct chairman in Iowa": LINK
The Kansas City Star: "The vice presidential candidates' debate was marked by pointed personal attacks delivered in unemotional tones." LINK
Bill Lambrecht of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on the debate: "Edwards, who often took the role of aggressor, also criticized Cheney for what he said was Cheney's repeated suggestion of a connection between Osama Bin Laden and deposed Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein." LINK
Erin Neff of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports on victory bells ringing in both parties' ears. LINK
The Albuquerque Journal conducted a post-debate poll of New Mexican voters and found Senator Kerry taking the lead. In a survey of registered voters conducted Oct. 1-4, Senator Kerry was at 46 percent, 43 percent for Bush, and eight percent undecided. LINK
"The previous Journal poll, conducted Aug. 27 to Sept. 1, showed Bush with a 45 to 42 percent edge over Kerry, with eight percent of voters undecided."
Cheney versus Edwards: the spin:
What was up with Ken Mehlman's e-mail to supporters sent out early this morning?
For one thing, it mentioned Cheney's factually incorrect assertion that he had never before met Sen. Edwards.
