Romney 'At His Best' and Obama 'Disappointing' in Debate: Media Roundup

A roundup of the initial reaction on the news networks to tonight's presidential debate...

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow: "I personally do not know who won this debate. I do feel that we saw this debate format die a very painful death die on camera tonight."

CNN's Candy Crowley (who will moderate the next presidential debate): "If the first test of this kind of debate is can the challenger stand toe to toe with the president... I certainly think Mitt Romney looked as though, seemed as though, he passed that test."

Fox News' Brit Hume: "I don't think [President Obama] had the spark or the energy or the precision tonight that Governor Romney had... This was a very strong performance by Governor Romney. He needed one. He got it."

Democratic Strategist Donna Brazile: "I do believe that Mitt Romney did himself a lot of good tonight. He came to play, he came to pivot. ... Tonight, Mitt Romney was a little bit more aggressive than the president."

MSNBC's Al Sharpton: "No doubt Mitt Romney was at his best tonight, but his best is not good enough."

CNN's Gloria Borger: "Tonight I think [Romney] sort of had it all together."

CNN Republican Strategist Alex Castellanos: "I think Mitt Romney rose to the moment tonight... I think this was the best moment of Mitt Romney's campaign just like Bill Clinton was the best moment of President Obama's campaign."

CNN's James Carville: "It looked like Mitt Romney wanted to be there and President Obama didn't want to be there. ... I do think that Mitt Romney had a good night. I think he needed this."

MSNBC's Chris Matthews: "What was Romney doing? He was winning. ... Obama should watch MSNBC. he will learn something every night on all these shows."

MSNBC's Ed Schultz: "[Romney] was winning tonight. ... The president tonight was disappointing..."

Pat Buchanan on Fox News: "[Romney] was really at the top of his game. ... I think [the Romney team is] really going to get a boost out of this..."

MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell: "Mitt Romney was happy to take on the role of the smiling prosecutor. Which, I think we all can agree, is exactly what he should have done."

Fox News' Chris Wallace: "The challenger, Mitt Romney, seemed more presidential, more in command, of his facts... And Obama seemed nervous, ill at east and very much off his game."

Former Obama administration official Van Jones: "[Obama] has to run a country. Romney, a lot of times, just had to find out how to run his mouth."

Charles Krauthammer on Fox News: "I thought Romney won and he won big. He won by two touchdowns."

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) tweets: "If that debate was a fight they would've stopped it!"

Fox News' Sean Hannity: "Never before has [Obama] been hammered this way on a sustained basis."

V.P. Joe Biden tweets: "Folks, I hope you saw what I saw tonight: President Obama's the choice to move us forward, not back."