Who Won?
	Gore	Bush	Tie
10/11/00	30%	46	18
10/3/00	42%	39	13

As noted, a more pro-Bush audience chose to watch. Viewers favored Bush by 52-42 percent before the debate; that compares to a closer 48-45 percent race among likely voters nationally in an ABCNEWS/Washington Post poll completed Monday.
     But Bush also did a better job pleasing his supporters. Among those who supported Bush going into the debate, 76 percent said he won it. Among those who supported Gore going in, fewer — 63 percent — picked him as the winner. Indeed Gore’s supporters were almost twice as likely as Bush’s either to call it a tie, or to say the other guy won.

Who Won?
	Among:	Gore supporters	Bush supporters
Gore		63%	4
Bush		11%	76
Tie		20%	13

These assessments are different from the first debate: Then Gore’s supporters were as likely as Bush’s — even slightly more likely — to say their candidate won.
     Political party preferences show a similar result. After the first debate, 75 percent of Democrats said Gore won; this time that was down to 61 percent. And after the first debate 68 percent of Republicans said Bush won; this time that was up to 76 percent.
     Regardless of the winner, again the debate had little direct effect on vote preferences among those who watched. Bush’s support among viewers was 52 percent before the debate and 54 percent after it; Gore’s, 42 percent before, 41 percent after.

Vote Preference Registered Voters Who Watched
	Gore	Bush	Nader	Buchanan
Before Debate	42%	52	2	1
After Debate	41%	54	2	1

Looking at the movement — or lack thereof — another way: Among people who supported Bush going into the debate, 96 percent still supported him after it. Among those who backed Gore going in, 91 percent stayed with him.
     These represent the undiluted opinions of viewers immediately after the debate ended. As noted, it’s not a sample of all Americans or all likely voters; instead it’s a random sample of registered voters who chose to watch the debate.
     There’s still a gender gap in views of the candidates, but this time with a twist: Men who watched picked Bush as the winner by a 26-point margin. But women who watched didn’t pick Gore as the winner; they were divided about evenly. That too is different from the first debate, when most women said Gore won.
    

Who Won?
		Gore	Bush	Tie
10/11 Debate	Men	24%	50	19
	Women	37%	41	16
10/3 Debate	Men	32%	45	18
	Women	52%	33	9