Gore Wins Debate, Say Experts

A panel of debate experts, including university and high school debate coaches, has assessed the third presidential debate between Democratic candidate Al Gore and GOP rival George W. Bush. The experts voted convincingly in favor of Gore, citing his stronger performance on the issues as the key factor. According to Gallup, CBS News, and ABC News polls, Gore won the debate by a narrow margin, with independents who watched the debate giving him a decisive victory.

Key Takeaways:

• A panel of debate experts scored the debate in favor of Gore, with three out of five judges giving it to him by a wider margin than the two who scored it for Bush.
• Gore's stronger performance on the issues was cited as the key factor in his victory, with experts praising him for being more forceful and effective in challenging Bush's positions.
• The format of the debate was criticized by the judges, with some arguing that it was too restrictive and didn't allow for sufficient interaction between the candidates and the questioners.
• Independents who watched the debate gave Gore a decisive victory, with 47% of them scoring him the winner compared to 33% for Bush.
• Gore's performance in the debate was praised by experts, with one debate coach calling him a "clear victor" and another praising him for being "stronger on the issues."
• The debate was seen as the weakest of the three between the two major party candidates, with one expert calling it a "high school debate" and another saying that both candidates did a "very poor job" of answering questions.

Statistics:

• According to Gallup, 46% of viewers said Gore won the debate compared to 44% who thought Bush won.
• A CBS News poll scored the debate for Gore by a margin of 45% to 40%.
• An ABC News poll showed the debate as a draw at 41% each, however, when looking at the results by independents, Gore won with 47% compared to 33% for Bush.
• The judges were divided on the question of whether Gore risked being labeled too aggressive in the debate, with some arguing that he did and others disagreeing.

Sources:

• United Press International: "Debate Experts: Gore Wins Handily"
• Gallup: "Presidential Debate Offers Glimpse of What Voters Think"
• CBS News: "Debate: Gore Wins, Republicans "Delighted"
• ABC News: "Presidential Debate: Gore Wins Over ABC Poll"
• Loren Danzis, debate coach for American University
• Steve Mancuso, director of debate at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
• Chuck Ballingall, director of forensics at Damien High School in LaVerne, Calif.
• Glenda Ferguson, director of forensics at Heritage Hall High School in Oklahoma City