According to CNN.com, Kerry won the debate, with 45% choosing Kerry as victor, and 30% choosing Bush as victor. The fact that Bush didn't bumble as much as in the earlier debate, was no cause for Safire to declare Bush the victor, as he did in an op-ed in today's NY Times.
Although an instant poll of debate watchers taken Friday night showed the meeting to be without a clear winner, Gallup's two-day poll showed 45 percent of respondents picked Kerry as the winner. Just 30 percent chose Bush as the debate winner.
Bush's support as president remains below the 50 percent threshold, with just 47 percent of those polled noting approval of the way he is handling his job. Forty-nine percent said they disapproved.