CBS NEWS: Experts Rate Debate A Draw

CBS News ^ | Sept. 30, 2004 | David Paul Kuhn

[West Coast Conservative]

There was no clear winner in Thursday night's first presidential debate, according to interviews with experts across the country.

"It’s more relevant to talk about the winner in terms of expectations," said Shanto Iyengar, a professor of American politics at Stanford University. "Given the fact that this was President Bush’s home turf -- national security and terrorism -- he should have dominated. He didn’t. It’s a positive outcome for Kerry."

Yet winners in debates are determined not in the minutes following, but in the 24 to 48 hours to come.

"Anyone who declares a winner in this debate is a predictable partisan. They both did beautiful," said Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

"I don't view this as a tie," he continued. "I view this as a superb dual presentation that presented the American people with a clear choice and that's really all you can expect from these television extravaganza."

Experts agreed: both candidates performed well. Kerry was presidential; Mr. Bush had a command of facts. But while no one would declare a winner, all agreed Kerry scored points by standing toe-to-toe with Mr. Bush on foreign policy and national security.

"I thought both guys did extremely well. But that means its good news for Kerry," said Norman Ornstein, a political analyst at the American Enterprise Institute. "Kerry’s over the bar and he’s in the game.

"When you have an incumbent running against a challenger," Ornstein said, "they are looking to see if the other guy can be president." According to Ornstein and other experts, Kerry came off looking presidential.

[PatriotEdition]

Well if CBS called it a draw, that means Bush won by a long shot.