Who won the debate?
Kerry 45%, Bush 36%, Tie 17%
(Among self-identified independents: Kerry 48%, Bush 28%, Tie 24%)
Kerry 43%, Bush 28%, Tie 29%
Regardless of which candidate you happen to support, who do you think did the better job in the debate?
Kerry 53%, Bush 37%, Neither 1%, Tie 8%
(46% of respondents said they have a “more favorable opinion” of Kerry as a result of the debate. Only 21% of respondents said the same about Bush.)
Two separate survey panels showed Kerry winning — Panel 1 preferred Kerry 51% to 41%, Panel 2 preferred Kerry 52% to 42%.
So far, so good. If Bush was 5-and-0 in debates before last night (one victory against Ann Richards, one against Garry Mauro, and three against Al Gore), I feel pretty confident in saying he’s 5-and-1 now.