The Jury Is Back

Gallup's post-debate survey shows results similar to InstantReplay's predictions. Of the 615 viewers polled, 53% said Kerry won, 37% said Bush won. Gender was not an issue, but party preference certainly won. Despite the President's worse-than-expected showing, 68% of those planning to vote for Bush said he won. However, among independents, Kerry was the concensus by a 60% - 29% margin. Perhaps most importantly, 46% of viewers said they came out with an improved view of Kerry, while just 21% had an improved view of Bush.

I think IR reader Dubya nailed it down the other day: Kerry didn't sway a lot of people to his side through this debate, but he proved that he's a legitimate candidate. Bush came into the debate with the momentum, but Kerry has it all now.