Most journalists and commentators thought Mitt Romney or John McCain came out on top of last night's debate, with the former showing a great deal of polish and the latter a lot of vigor, and that Rudy Giuliani struggled with his answers on questions regarding abortion.

The candidates largely agreed on foreign policy, supporting President Bush's surge and taking a hard line against Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons, "but they were critical of the president's management of the war," reports the Washington Post's Dan Balz and Michael Shear.

"Questions of life and its preservation drew the evening's most clear-cut lines of division" as McCain and Giuliani were the only candidates to "support increased federal funding for embryonic stem cell research," the Los Angeles Times' Mark Z. Barabak and Maeve Reston report.

Bush was defended most at the end of the debate, with Romney saying everything Bush has done since 9/11 "flows from the desire to protect the American people and make our future secure." Giuliani gave Bush credit for preventing another terrorist attack and that "history will remember him" for putting America on the offense against terrorism.

On the candidates' performance, Slate's John Dickerson writes that McCain "answered his first questions with such gusto that he appeared to be plugged into a car battery hidden somewhere on his person. McCain said he would follow Osama Bin Laden to the gates of hell and you got the feeling he might walk right off the stage to start right away." Though for a guy who's supposed to be "pandering to the right wing, McCain sure does a lousy job of it," with his announced support for embryonic stem-cell research, belief in evolution and comprehensive immigration reform. National Review's Byron York writes McCain's performance "looked better in print than on TV."

Hotline On Call's Marc Ambinder writes that on Roe v. Wade Giuliani's answer that overturning the case would be "OK" was "intellectually honest, to a degree. In Rudy's mind, a 'strict constructionist' judge could very well hold that Roewas settled law, or that it was unconstitutional." However, he's going to "get some heat" for saying the Terri Schiavo matter should have been left to the courts because in 2004 he "supported the federal government's intervention."

The Politico's Roger Simon writes that "Giuliani seemed to lack a plan of attack and a plan of defense" and he didn't play to his strength of fighting terrorism. Romney "looked and sounded presidential. He hit his talking points. And voters who knew nothing about him before the debate except that he was a Mormon, came away knowing a lot more." Romney can't alter the way he's changed on things like abortion, but all he can do is "face up to that and say he has changed his mind. Which he did. And he gave some red meat answers that primary voters often" like the prospect of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Hillary Clinton running the war.

San Francisco Chronicle's Carla Marinucci reports that Chris Matthews told Romney after the debate that "Everyone says you won." An "insider who knows the field well" said that Giuliani is "not going to get a second chance" on the abortion question.

Des Moines Register's David Yepsen writes "Jim Gilmore was sometimes able to stand out with his strong conservative positions. Duncan Hunter looked tanned and in command as he argued for a strong national defense." Weekly Standard's Fred Barnes writes that Hunter has "serious ideas about winning the war in Iraq, says Iran has already 'crossed the line' by aiding Iraqi terrorists, and sounds a bit like Pat Buchanan on protectionism."

In a piece for RCP, Gerard Baker asks "Can we stop calling these curious cattle-calls among presidential candidates the TV news channels insist on broadcasting 'debates'?" Republicans need to have a "real debate about whether it is an excess of conservatism or a deficit that has caused their current crisis." The candidates seem reluctant to have a real debate, though they're capable of it in both tiers. "The problem seems to be an excess of caution.... But Republicans can't recover from their current funk unless they know what they really want to do with their government and their country."

Get these and today's other elections stories at RCP's Politics and Elections page.