Debates Over but Race is Not

The presidential debates are over, the vice presidential debate has passed, and less than three weeks remain before Election Day, but the race for the White House is far from over. One reason for this was the nature of the three debates. For one of the few times in history, the presidential debates seemed to have a significant influence on the public and they ultimately could affect the outcome of the election. Largely because of the first debate, a substantial lead for Bush in the polls before the debates is now gone and the two candidates are in a dead heat. In the last two debates, neither candidate was able to knock the other one out, nor did either candidate make an error worthy of costing himself the election. Both candidates will actively campaign and reinforce their messages in what could be three of the most intense weeks we have ever seen in an election season.

Works Consulted
Purdum, Todd S. "Last Debate Offers a Crucial Test but Not the Final Word." The New
York Times 14 Oct. 2004. 14 Oct. 2004 http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/14/politics/campaign/14assess.html?pagewanted=1.