The first televised debate between Vice-President Al Gore and Governor George W. Bush ended without a clear winner and with the recognition that Mr Bush will remain a serious contender in next month's election.
The debate, watched by an estimated 70 million people, will be followed by two more in a less formal setting, which may suit Mr Bush more.
Mr Bush avoided the kind of verbal gaffes that have been ridiculed in the media and the chat shows and showed that he can debate on serious policy issues where Mr Gore has more experience. The debate also showed that there are clear differences between the candidates on major domestic matters such as education, the future of healthcare and taxation.
Two instant polls carried out by CBS News and Gallup after the debate gave the edge to Mr Gore. But a third by ABC News gave the two men equal ratings, with women favouring Mr Gore and men preferring Mr Bush.
Both candidates expressed satisfaction with their performances as they went back on the campaign trail the morning after.
"I thought I did just fine," Mr Bush said in a CBS interview. "I had a chance to talk to the American people without a filter."
Mr Gore said that President Clinton had telephoned him with congratulations after the debate.
The opening section of the debate in the University of Massachusetts in Boston was taken up with arguments over the tax-cutting plans of the two candidates. Mr Gore argued that Mr Bush's $1.3 trillion tax cut over 10 years would go to the wealthiest 1 per cent of the population.
Mr Bush claimed that Mr Gore's $480 billion tax cut would mean that 50 million people would get no relief under his "targeted" plan.
The candidates also clashed on their plans to include coverage for prescription drugs for the elderly in their healthcare systems. Mr Bush accused Mr Gore of scare tactics and of mispresenting his plan. The latter said that the Bush plan would give only partial coverage.
On foreign policy, Mr Bush said that his opponent believed in using US troops overseas for "nation-building" as in UN peacekeeping missions. He believed "the role of the military is to fight and win war and therefore prevent war happening in the first place".
Abortion came up when the candidates were asked for their views on the recent authorisation in the US of the abortion pill, RU-486. Mr Gore said he approved of the pill, which was tested in the US for 12 years.
Mr Bush said he would not try to overturn the decision to approve the pill because that had been done by the Food and Drug Administration.
Reuters adds: President Clinton yesterday said he thought Mr Gore and Mr Bush both did well in their first debate, but that Mr Gore stood to win on the issues. He also said the First Lady, Mrs Hillary Rodham Clinton, had a "pretty good lead" in her New York Senate race.