CNN's post debate 'town hall' gives points to Gore - with reservations
By Matt Smith/CNN
WARREN, Michigan (CNN) -- Uncommitted voters in Michigan, one of the electoral prizes up for grabs in this year's presidential race, were divided over Democratic Vice President Al Gore's performance in Tuesday's final debate -- but most think he dominated the event.
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Undecided Michigan voters share their impressions of the final presidential debate with CNN's Wolf Blitzer
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After being criticized for being too passive in his last encounter with Republican Texas Gov. George W. Bush, Gore aggressively battled back in Tuesday night's 90-minute session in St. Louis, Missouri. That was the judgment of a panel of 17 undecided voters CNN assembled to review the debate, even if they didn't like the show.
With 18 electoral votes, Michigan is one of the bigger states that remain tossups three weeks before election day. As in the first debate, however, many voters in the suburban Detroit town hall meeting said they were put off by Gore's demeanor even if they thought he won the debate.
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CNN's Wolf Blitzer hosts a town hall meeting on third Bush-Gore debate: Part 1
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"There's fighting for what you want, and then there's being argumentative," said Joell Cooper. He said he thought Bush started off weak and nervous, but regained his confidence by the end. He said he started the evening leaning toward Bush, but said he said he remained uncommitted.
Another voter who scored the debate in Gore's favor said Bush avoided answering questions that Gore was ready to answer.
"I think that Al Gore showed that he knew his facts much more than what Bush did," said Julie Kallio. "Bush hemmed and hawed, beat around the bush and did not give direct answers to several questions."
Sheryl Bruins-Rozier said she also remained uncommitted, but said the vice president "lost this debate in my mind because of this approach."
"He especially was not answering the questions that were asked of him.
He had his agenda of what he wanted to talk about tonight and no matter what the question was, he had to get back to his agenda. He even stole time from somebody else's question to answer a question from previously," she said.
But some others found Gore's aggressive nature appealing.
"Last week I did think Vice President Gore seemed rather wimpy by agreeing with Bush," said Carmen Stuyvenberg, who said she now was likely to vote for Gore. "I wanted to see the differences. He wants my vote, he's got to convince me why."
"He knows his issues, he knows his stands and I think today he proved it," she added.
Phil Holm, a teacher who remained uncommitted after the third debate, said he was impressed with Gore's handling of a question on education.
"He spoke to a lot of the difficulties teachers have," Holm said. "He seemed to answer it and George Bush seemed to duck it."
Holm also disagrees with Bush on vouchers for private schools, which the Texas governor supports. "I'd still like to vote for Bush because I like his stand on the Second Amendment," he said, referring to the portion of the Constitution regarding the right to bear firearms. "I wish I could combine the two candidates," he added.
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