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The US media believes that Wednesday night's Republican debate left two contenders, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney, as the clear frontrunners in the race, with a number of commentators believing the former came off best.

reckons the encounter showed that "for now, the Perry vs. Romney dynamic is the dominant theme of the Republican nomination contest":

Texas Gov Rick Perry has a reputation for running aggressive campaigns designed to keep the focus on his opponents rather than himself. In his opening debate as a presidential candidate, he followed that script from start to finish.

For the other candidates, Wednesday was a long night. Bachmann performed well in her first debates and won the Ames Straw Poll in Iowa last month. But she has seen her campaign plummet rather than soar, and though she tried to reestablish herself, she was generally overshadowed in this forum.

that the debate kicked off a "full-throated political rivalry" between Mr Romney and Mr Perry:

Mr. Perry, the governor of Texas, made clear in his first national appearance that he will campaign as an unabashed Southern conservative who is unafraid to speak bluntly, will double-down on controversial statements and plans to shrug off the concerns of the Republican establishment.

By contrast, Mr. Romney's performance demonstrated his desire to appeal broadly to the Republican electorate as part of an electability argument that he hopes will convince primary voters that he is best equipped to defeat President Obama.

scored Mr Perry as the victor:

Perry repeatedly ignored the moderators' questions in favor of canned soundbites. But he delivered the scripted remarks with confidence, and the audience probably didn't care. Romney turned in another steady performance, but that wasn't enough, given his eroding position in the polls. The Perry team should be exchanging high fives.

Michele Bachmann, the best performer in the last two debates, really faded in this one, in part because the moderators gave her less time and in part because she seemed less aggressive than in the earlier encounters.

says Mr Perry is now the clear frontrunner:

The Texas governor got the most questions, but he also absorbed the most punches from his competitors. When all the energy is concentrated in one direction, it underscores who is dominating the field - and last night it was Perry who was at the center of attention.

He didn't handle all of the hits smoothly... But while he didn't handle everything flawlessly, he left with one significant accomplishment: he didn't flop.

also believes the debate showed it's a two-man race, advantage Perry.

Perry is a provocateur, whether the subject is Social Security or Karl Rove. Mitt Romney is the safe option, the solid corporate citizen who wants to save grandma's Social Security and fix the economy 59 ways. You know you should marry him and stop eyeing that other guy, the daredevil on the fast motorcycle.

Michele Bachmann had few moments in the spotlight and did not use them to make news or depart in any way from her "I'm a fighter who hates Obamacare" script.