Impact of Gore's debate performance

[ak482]

With all that's been discussed about Al Gore's strategy, I think his performance in the debates has been overlooked.  Yes, his substance may have been better than Bush's, but he constantly managed to re-enforce all the negatives about him.  The 1st debate in particular hurt him with the audible sighs, the obvious eye rolls, and constant need for the last word.  In a close election, how much do you think his debate performances hurt him?

[SingingAnalyst]

Not sure. It may have actually helped him, in showing him to be a strong-willed, decisive leader. My first impression when I saw him in the debate was "Reagan"!

[Reaganfan]

No, they hurt him. The Gore campaign even admitted.

https://youtu.be/FInySdXt2O8?list=PLiB7UDBc-bqRU1QL1IWtPsYIdUn3rAodX&t=535

[Mr. Smith]

Final needle tipper probably, but certainly not as profoundly game-changing as Nixon's performance in 1960 or Carter's in 1980.

[Phony Moderate]

Really, given that he needed only 538 more votes in Florida, you could say that not holding one more rally in that state cost him the presidency.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Really, given that he needed only 538 more votes in Florida, you could say that not holding one more rally in that state cost him the presidency.

It's sort of hard to fault him on Florida, though. It's the only state he outspent Bush in. He said it would come down to 1 vote per precinct (which actually turned out to be an overstatement), and he spent the final 33 campaigning nonstop in Florida.

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

Really, given that he needed only 538 more votes in Florida, you could say that not holding one more rally in that state cost him the presidency.

It's sort of hard to fault him on Florida, though. It's the only state he outspent Bush in. He said it would come down to 1 vote per precinct (which actually turned out to be an overstatement), and he spent the final 33 campaigning nonstop in Florida.

The national and state polls all had Bush with a comfortable edge against Gore in late October 2000. Bush thought that with the election sown up he could campaign in California to pad his EV totals. That could have been a gigantic f-up had Gore won  Florida. Rove would have looked like a complete idiot instead of the genius reputation he had.

[Californiadreaming]

Really, given that he needed only 538 more votes in Florida, you could say that not holding one more rally in that state cost him the presidency.

It's sort of hard to fault him on Florida, though. It's the only state he outspent Bush in. He said it would come down to 1 vote per precinct (which actually turned out to be an overstatement), and he spent the final 33 campaigning nonstop in Florida.

Plus, Florida is one of the only two states (Pennsylvania was the other) where Gore ran a last-minute ad which showed a gaffe that George W. Bush made about Social Security (and which took this Bush gaffe out of context and thus made this Bush gaffe look worse than it actually was).

[Californiadreaming]

Really, given that he needed only 538 more votes in Florida, you could say that not holding one more rally in that state cost him the presidency.

It's sort of hard to fault him on Florida, though. It's the only state he outspent Bush in. He said it would come down to 1 vote per precinct (which actually turned out to be an overstatement), and he spent the final 33 campaigning nonstop in Florida.

I mostly agree with this. However, to be fair, Gore certainly could have chosen Florida's Bob Graham as his VP pick. Indeed, in terms of foreign policy compatibility, Graham would have probably been better for Gore than Lieberman was--especially if Gore would have won and 9/11 would have still occurred afterwards.

[LCSPopTart]

The debates probably put some votes in lockbox for bush.

[Senator-elect Spark]

*Sigh*, substantial.