Polls: Kerry won debate

[Fluffybunny]

(CNN) -- A majority of Americans believe Sen. John Kerry won the first presidential debate of the 2004 campaign, putting him in a virtual tie with President Bush, according to polls released Saturday by Newsweek and the Los Angeles Times.

Newsweek reported that Thursday's debate in Miami, Florida, had "erased the lead" that Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have held over Kerry and running mate Sen. John Edwards since the Republican National Convention in New York.

Newsweek's post-convention poll had Bush leading among registered voters 54 percent to 43 percent. Its post-debate poll had 47 percent choosing Kerry-Edwards, and 45 percent for Bush-Cheney. Two percent said they would vote for Ralph Nader and his running mate, Peter Camejo.

The Newsweek survey polled more than 1,000 registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

Newsweek's post-debate poll showed 61 percent of respondents said Kerry won, 19 percent said Bush won and 16 percent said they were undecided.

The poll also found 56 percent said Kerry did better than expected in the debate while 11 percent said the same for Bush.

In the Los Angeles Times poll, 54 percent of 725 respondents surveyed declared Kerry the winner of the debate, compared with 15 percent who said Bush won.

Before the debate, a Los Angeles Times poll showed Kerry with a one percentage point lead over Bush, and after the debate Kerry's lead increased to two points. Those margins are well within the poll's margin of error -- plus or minus four percentage points.

The debate was the first of three match-ups between Kerry and Bush.

Vice President Dick Cheney and his Democratic challenger, John Edwards, will debate in Cleveland, Ohio, on Tuesday. (Full story)

On Friday, the second presidential debate will take place in St. Louis, Missouri, followed by the final debate on October 13 in Tempe, Arizona.

Link

[Talon]

Kerry won debate, Bush post-convention lead 'erased'

Course he won, he was debating with a monkey

[psicohunter]

the debat was funny and yah karry won.

[Independent1]

the debat was funny and yah karry won.

289217[/snapback]

Unfortunately, Bush was not on his game, so Kerry won.

[DC09]

Unfortunately, Bush was not on his game, so Kerry won.

I'm not worried. It wasn't even a real debate.

[Stellar]

Unfortunately, Bush was not on his game, so Kerry won.

I'm not worried. It wasn't even a real debate.

289276[/snapback]

Yeah, whats with that! No way you're gonna tell me it was a true debate!

"Sen. John Kerry, what are your thoughts on the war on Iraq?"

"I believe that the war, although wrong, was in essence right."

"Mr. President, you have 30 seconds to reply."

"I --------" *long pause* "Think that Mr. Kerry is wrong, because" *Long pause*

"Im sorry Mr. President, your time is up."

[Talon]

Bet it would have been a real debate if Bush had won

[Stellar]

Bet it would have been a real debate if Bush had won

289314[/snapback]

Nah, a real debate would be the 2 candidates talking to each other. real debate would have substance. A real debate would involve stuff like "Resolution 1441 clearly stated---" and "Resolution 1441 also clearly stated---" and stuff like that. Not a simple, Yes I'm right, No you're wrong. IMO no one had anything like that, they were both basically "I would do a better job than him!" "I have done the best job possible, he would have messed it up!" "Nuh uh!" "Uh huh!"

[Talon]

Cool. I wished I'd watched it Does anyone have a link to the minutes?

[Wings of Selkhet]

Here's a transcript.

[Babs]

Doesn't matter who wins the debate, Bush is going to win the presidency.

[Talon]

Thanks Wings

[Stellar]

Cool. I wished I'd watched it Does anyone have a link to the minutes?

289339[/snapback]

Check out MSN.com

When I checked the video of Mt. St. Helens erupting, I saw a bunch of videos of the debate that I could view.

[Mishari]

We all know that Even if Kerry wins what difference will he do than Bush, they all have been the same.

[AztecInca]

They need to do it like the one they did down in australia, that was a good debate and it had the worm down the bottom of the screen!lol!

[Naveed]

I'll vote for a worm!! Imo the both the Prez. and Kerry did crappy in the debate. We need better choices besides Bush or Kerry. Either way though, I'm still voting for Bush since I've been given no one better to choose from.

[Talon]

Kerry gains impetus after debate

George W Bush and John Kerry are criss-crossing the US as the newly energised presidential election campaign enters a crucial week.

The two men will hold another debate and the vice-presidential candidates will also meet for a TV contest that is more keenly anticipated than most.

Correspondents say Mr Kerry has been on a high amid a widespread feeling that he won the first debate with Mr Bush.

Opinion polls support that, and indicate Mr Kerry is bouncing back.

A survey published on Monday found that Mr Bush and Mr Kerry were tied with 49% support each among 772 likely voters questioned - a comeback for Mr Kerry who had been eight percentage points behind before last Thursday's nationally televised debate.

Among all registered voters, the USA Today/CNN/Gallup poll had Mr Bush in the lead by two percentage points - giving him 49% and Mr Kerry 47%.

But the survey, which has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points, showed Mr Kerry slightly ahead in 17 states seen as crucial in the 2 November election.

The findings echo those of a Newsweek poll published at the weekend that also had Mr Kerry regaining support after the first presidential debate, which was watched by more than 60m Americans.

Correspondents say the results - reversing a slight lead for Mr Bush - suggest some voters have changed their preference after the debate.

Added interest

The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says Democrats are daring to feel cheerful, for the first time since their convention in July.

He adds that the Democrats are hoping their vice-presidential candidate, John Edwards, will add to their campaign momentum if he can win his debate with Republican counterpart Dick Cheney on Tuesday.

The new closeness of the race adds to the interest in the verbal battle between the running-mates, as does the very different personalities and styles of the two candidates, observers say.

Mr Cheney, 63, is seen as having embraced his role as campaign attack-dog for Mr Bush, while the youthful-looking Mr Edwards, 51, has brought an obvious charm and charisma to the Kerry camp, which had been portrayed as dour.

In the single vice-presidential debate, to be held in Cleveland, Ohio, Mr Cheney is likely to face questions about a weekend report in the New York Times newspaper that senior Bush administration figures knew before the war that the evidence that Saddam Hussein was trying to create a nuclear weapon was doubtful.

'Intimidation' claims

Several swing states are reaching a deadline for registering voters on Monday.

The New York Times reports that there has been a record surge of potential new voters in states such as Pennsylvania, as well as Ohio, Michigan and Florida.

At a campaign stop in Ohio on Sunday, Mr Kerry accused Republicans of creating problems for new voters, in moves that he said echoed alleged disenfranchisement of various groups in the 2000 presidential election narrowly won by Mr Bush.

"We're seeing efforts by the Republicans, unfortunately, in various parts of the country to suppress votes and intimidate people, to do things that bring back memories that are pretty bitter in the American mind from the year 2000," Mr Kerry was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

The Bush-Cheney campaign said the charges of voter suppression "have no basis in reality", AP reported.

"Like so much of his campaign, John Kerry's false charges of voter intimidation are baseless," spokesman Steve Schmidt said.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/worl...cas/3712424.stm

[wunarmdscissor]

Doesn't matter who wins the debate, Bush is going to win the presidency.

LOL this is just great.

If bush had looked anything other than the dimwit he clearly is and had done even reasonably well in the debate then you especially would be saying something along the lines.

"GO BUSH 2004

What a great debate, these things are so important to the election".

You know babs think about this.

If bush has trouble responding to questions form a fellow american imagine how he would handle heated conventions, meetings with other LEADERS who oppose his stance on something.

After that its no wonder he wasnt able to convince most of the world leaders on earth to back his cause.

The very essence of politics is in the ability to debate, think on yer feet and make decisive decisions by yourself.

Anyone who watched that bumbling performance must see now that bush is just a puppet or muppet whichever, i dont know what sounds more like him....

[bathory]

didn't Bush beat Gore in the debates?

[Celumnaz]

Dangit, gallup pulled the debate poll off their site. Was going to look it up because it was up there just yesterday, or last night. They had comparisons over the years, I can't remember if Bush beat Gore, but I do remember thinking from the data the winner of the debate doesn't have a correlation to the winner of the election.

[Celumnaz]

Oh and about the debate being the essence of politics, I don't want a politician as president, I want a leader. Politicians make terrible leaders. It's the head of our executive branch, America's CEO, not the office of the hot air of the people. I don't want a snake-oil salesman, I want a leader, a President. Conviction, not politics should be at the forefront. If you're against my position, fine, we all get to vote, we all hope our side will win, but this swaying in the wind shows a spineless character.

[wunarmdscissor]

Cellumnaz that a very naive way to look at it.

All world leaders in democratic societies are there becuas ethey are politicians , not because they are fearless leaders like the dark ages.

The fact is politicians have more nouse than your average patriot.

Much more able to deal with world crisis an the like.

Its of no relevance wether bush beat gore in the debate slast time around , its this election that matter and kerry is his oponent, not to merntion gore was about as dynamic and charismatic as a dying mongoose anyway.

[bathory]

not to merntion gore was about as dynamic and charismatic as a dying mongoose anyway.

people seem to be slamming Bush saying he lost because he's an idiot....i was under the impression gore was quite intelligent

[Babs]

Oh and about the debate being the essence of politics, I don't want a politician as president, I want a leader.  Politicians make terrible leaders.  It's the head of our executive branch, America's CEO, not the office of the hot air of the people.  I don't want a snake-oil salesman, I want a leader, a President.  Conviction, not politics should be at the forefront.  If you're against my position, fine, we all get to vote, we all hope our side will win, but this swaying in the wind shows a spineless character.

290143[/snapback]

You are soooo right! GO CELUMNAZ! Ha Ha...

[wunarmdscissor]

is that all you ever do babs .

Bathory Gore is very intelligent i never said he wasnt.