Campaign officials for both Bush and McCain said they were generally pleased with how their candidates fared in the debate. Forbes' representatives were reluctant to talk about their candidate's performance, and instead emphasized today's endorsement by New Hampshire's most influential conservative newspaper, The Union Leader.

Orrin Hatch complained that the format of the debate was too rigid. Candidates were allotted one minute to answer an initial question posed by the moderators, Karen Brown, news director for New Hampshire's only network affiliate, WMUR; and Brit Hume, an anchor for the Fox News Channel. Another 45 seconds were allotted to respond to a follow-up question. Candidates were not allowed to respond to each other directly.

Hatch charged that "these debates have been stilted and boring. Next time let's leave the entourage behind. It would be like Lincoln and Douglas and we'd really have a debate here."

Still, moderators pressed each candidate on tough issues early in the debate. McCain was asked if his temper had cost him the endorsement of some of his colleagues in the Senate.

"You know, a comment like that really makes me mad," he said with a smile. "Do I feel impassioned about issues? Absolutely."

Bush was asked whether he thought his father George H. Bush could have put together the Gulf War coalition without the specific foreign policy experience he brought to the office of the president.

"I've [also] got a record of leadership. Texas is the second-largest state in the nation," Bush said.

Bush's foreign policy knowledge was called into question recently when he was unable to name the heads of state of four important nations for a television reporter.

Along similar lines, Bush was also asked what books he has read recently. He mentioned a book about Dean Acheson, Secretary of State under President Harry S. Truman, and said he likes mysteries.