Back from the Dead?

"Wednesday night's Fox News Channel debate saw McCain reassert his place in the top tier of Republican contenders."

And seconded by Fred Barnes, noting that McCain jumped all over Romney for saying that the surge is "apparently" succeeding:

"John McCain helped himself and Mitt Romney hurt himself. And while Rudy Giuliani was no slouch, he became tedious by droning on about his accomplishments as mayor of New York. The five other Republican presidential candidates didn't matter much . . .

"The alacrity with which McCain went after Romney on Iraq reflected the Arizona senator's view that Romney shades or modifies his position on the war, depending on his audience. After the debate, McCain aides accused Romney of having three different positions on Iraq in four days . . .

"How far McCain went last night in reviving his battered campaign is unclear. A single strong debate performance can't, by itself, resurrect a candidacy. But it can help by guaranteeing McCain more press coverage -- and more respectful treatment, at that -- and perhaps a bump in the polls that come out almost daily."

At Slate, John Dickerson also gives props to the former front-runner:

"If McCain revives his campaign, his debate performance will be the moment observers seize on as the start of the turnaround . . . McCain took his opportunities to highlight his military and foreign policy experience relative to his opponents -- particularly Mitt Romney -- without looking desperate. He was also praised several times by his opponents. Mike Huckabee went on so long about McCain's honor it sounded like the generosity rivals only show each other when one of them is getting out of the race.

" Rudy Giuliani: Perhaps in future debates moderators can find an experience in the human condition which Rudy cannot use as a pretext to talk about an achievement from his tenure as mayor. Time and again Giuliani answered questions with data-laden examples of how he reduced crime or cut taxes that he said proved he was tested and ready . . .

" Mitt Romney: No matter how well you do, when a civilian questioner rebukes you it's a bad night. Romney was on his way to completing a competent if not distinguished performance when a father with a son completing his second tour in Iraq clubbed him. 'I don't think you fully understand how offended my wife and I were and probably the rest of the people who have sons, daughters, husbands and wives serving in the war on terror to compare your son's attempts to get you elected my son's service in Iraq,' he said, nervously. 'I know you apologized a couple days later up there, a firestorm started. But it was wrong, sir, and you never should have said it.'

"Romney, who was already taking heat from McCain for not giving a full-throated support of the surge and whose Iraq answers sounded tentative and unwieldy, had trouble responding. He heaped praise on those who serve but it sounded more like an act of damage control than a response to the father's clear emotion."

National Review's Rich Lowry, not a previous member of the McCain fan club, changes his tune:

"I think McCain won . . . Republicans tend to disagree with him on immigration, the tax pledge, and interrogation, but he scored against Romney on immigration, had a fine answer on the tax pledge, and put his interrogation position in the context of his national security/military experience, which was his real strength. His answers on Iraq and Iran were passionate and deeply informed. It also helped create the impression that he had the upper-hand tonight that Giuliani and Huckabee gave him props three times. Combine all this with the fact that he was relaxed, feisty, and fluid, and it was a strong night for him.