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Al Gore and George W. Bush are back on the campaign trail now that their second presidential debate is history.
The vice president and the Texas governor faced off at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. on Wednesday night. For 90 minutes, the candidates engaged in a polite, but wary encounter in an informal "talk show" format moderated by Jim Lehrer of PBS. Clashing on health care, the environment and foreign policy, the candidates made little news, but they articulated different visions of government and America's place in the world.
A CBS News poll taken immediately after the encounter found that debate watchers narrowly gave the edge to Bush over Gore, 51 percent to 48 percent. The poll had a four percent margin of error.
Satisfied with his debate performance, Bush will campaign Thursday in the major battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan - as well as appearing on The Late Show With David Letterman on CBS.
"Spent a lot of time on foreign policy (in the debate) - and I think I might have surprised some people about my ability to converse in foreign policy. I think a lot about it," Bush told CBS News' The Early Show.
Bush and Gore spent almost half the debate on international affairs, roaming the world from East Timor to Yugoslavia, Russia, Somalia and the Middle East.
"I think a lot of people said 'Well, you know, he's from Texas, he's never really done anything, just running on his daddy's name' and I think people now know I've got a vision, a clear plan, and I've got the ability to lead and that's what America is looking for," added the governor.
Democrat Gore is stumping in North Carolina and Wisconsin on Thursday. He and his campaign are continuing to hammer at Bush's record in Texas, zeroing in on statements that the GOP candidate made in the debate. Gore, who slipped in polls after the first debate as the Bush team highlighted mistakes and exaggerations that the vice president made, is trying to turn the tables on the governor this time around.
Gore spokesman Mark Fabiani said Thursday that the campaign was releasing examples of Bush miscues, including the statement that three men convicted in the 1998 Texas dragging death of James Byrd, Jr. would be put to death. Bush later acknowledged that he'd misspoken twice when he said all three are to be executed for the crime. Only two got the death penalty; the third received a life sentence.
While the vice president did not pick up on the error during the debate, Fabiani said Bush's statement that the men "would" be put to death risks hurting the prosecution's case against all three - noting that appeals are pending in all three cases.
"As a result of last night's debate, the Texas record is squarely on the table for the public to examine," Fabiani told The Associated Press.
Gore and his campaign will also continue to challenge Bush on Texas' health care and environment record. Joe Lieberman, Gore's running mate, is scheduled to visit the Lone Star State on Thursday.
In the second debate, reports CBSNews.com's Susan Walsh, Bush's belief in smaller government at home and more selective involvement in international affairs came through on issues from racial profiling to foreign aid. Gore called for "affordable health care" for "every single child in the United States" - one of his "top priorities" - and likened the current post-Cold War period to the Marshall Plan era.
Bush made no misstatements, mispronunciations, or malapropisms this time, despite efforts by Gore supporters to psych him out in the days leading uto the debate by calling the governor a bumbler and comparing him to Dan Quayle.
Gore, who has slipped in the polls lately, bent over backwards to erase the memory of his first debate performance, but he may have overmodulated. He "agreed" with Bush on at least four points - five, if you count the Golden Rule. Gore held back even when he had the substantive goods on Bush, couching his salvos in phrases like, "Maybe I've heard the statements wrong, Governor." Even where the facts were on his side, Gore didn't take it to Bush as he's capable of doing on gun control or the environment.
An unscripted Bush held forth on some of his favorite stump themes on domestic issues - education, cultural values and law enforcement. But Gore finally came out of his corner on health care - and took a few swings that his campaign vows will be seen again.
Citing statistics that Texas ranks 49th among the 50 states for children and women with health insurance, Gore challenged Bush on his record as governor in Texas where 1.4 million children don't have health care, and a half million who are eligible for the federally-funded, state-administered program called CHIP are not enrolled.
"You quote all the numbers you want, we care about out people in Texas," said Bush, who defended his record and his state.
Gore argued the governor's record is "directly relevant" to the presidential campaign because Bush has signaled his "priorities" with his $1.3 trillion tax cut plan, which Gore says gives the "wealthiest of the wealthy" more in tax savings than Bush plans to spend on "health care and education and national defense all combined, according to his own numbers."
In the atmosphere of determined mutual respect, there was a palpable undercurrent of suspicion in round two. If Gore was graceless during his off-camera moments last time, Bush was the face-maker this time. He frowned, he smirked, he raised his eyebrows. Remember the testy, petulant George W? He's back, and he has no patience for Al Gore.
The third and final presidential debate is set for next Tuesday in St. Louis.
Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved. The vice president and the Texas governor faced off at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. on Wednesday night. For 90 minutes, the candidates engaged in a polite, but wary encounter in an informal "talk show" format moderated by Jim Lehrer of PBS. Clashing on health care, the environment and foreign policy, the candidates made little news, but they articulated different visions of government and America's place in the world.
A CBS News poll taken immediately after the encounter found that debate watchers narrowly gave the edge to Bush over Gore, 51 percent to 48 percent. The poll had a four percent margin of error.
Satisfied with his debate performance, Bush will campaign Thursday in the major battleground states of Pennsylvania and Michigan - as well as appearing on The Late Show With David Letterman on CBS.
"Spent a lot of time on foreign policy (in the debate) - and I think I might have surprised some people about my ability to converse in foreign policy. I think a lot about it," Bush told CBS News' The Early Show.
Bush and Gore spent almost half the debate on international affairs, roaming the world from East Timor to Yugoslavia, Russia, Somalia and the Middle East.
"I think a lot of people said 'Well, you know, he's from Texas, he's never really done anything, just running on his daddy's name' and I think people now know I've got a vision, a clear plan, and I've got the ability to lead and that's what America is looking for," added the governor.
Democrat Gore is stumping in North Carolina and Wisconsin on Thursday. He and his campaign are continuing to hammer at Bush's record in Texas, zeroing in on statements that the GOP candidate made in the debate. Gore, who slipped in polls after the first debate as the Bush team highlighted mistakes and exaggerations that the vice president made, is trying to turn the tables on the governor this time around.
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While the vice president did not pick up on the error during the debate, Fabiani said Bush's statement that the men "would" be put to death risks hurting the prosecution's case against all three - noting that appeals are pending in all three cases.
"As a result of last night's debate, the Texas record is squarely on the table for the public to examine," Fabiani told The Associated Press.
Gore and his campaign will also continue to challenge Bush on Texas' health care and environment record. Joe Lieberman, Gore's running mate, is scheduled to visit the Lone Star State on Thursday.
In the second debate, reports CBSNews.com's Susan Walsh, Bush's belief in smaller government at home and more selective involvement in international affairs came through on issues from racial profiling to foreign aid. Gore called for "affordable health care" for "every single child in the United States" - one of his "top priorities" - and likened the current post-Cold War period to the Marshall Plan era.
Bush made no misstatements, mispronunciations, or malapropisms this time, despite efforts by Gore supporters to psych him out in the days leading uto the debate by calling the governor a bumbler and comparing him to Dan Quayle.
Gore, who has slipped in the polls lately, bent over backwards to erase the memory of his first debate performance, but he may have overmodulated. He "agreed" with Bush on at least four points - five, if you count the Golden Rule. Gore held back even when he had the substantive goods on Bush, couching his salvos in phrases like, "Maybe I've heard the statements wrong, Governor." Even where the facts were on his side, Gore didn't take it to Bush as he's capable of doing on gun control or the environment.
An unscripted Bush held forth on some of his favorite stump themes on domestic issues - education, cultural values and law enforcement. But Gore finally came out of his corner on health care - and took a few swings that his campaign vows will be seen again.
Citing statistics that Texas ranks 49th among the 50 states for children and women with health insurance, Gore challenged Bush on his record as governor in Texas where 1.4 million children don't have health care, and a half million who are eligible for the federally-funded, state-administered program called CHIP are not enrolled.
"You quote all the numbers you want, we care about out people in Texas," said Bush, who defended his record and his state.
Gore argued the governor's record is "directly relevant" to the presidential campaign because Bush has signaled his "priorities" with his $1.3 trillion tax cut plan, which Gore says gives the "wealthiest of the wealthy" more in tax savings than Bush plans to spend on "health care and education and national defense all combined, according to his own numbers."
In the atmosphere of determined mutual respect, there was a palpable undercurrent of suspicion in round two. If Gore was graceless during his off-camera moments last time, Bush was the face-maker this time. He frowned, he smirked, he raised his eyebrows. Remember the testy, petulant George W? He's back, and he has no patience for Al Gore.
The third and final presidential debate is set for next Tuesday in St. Louis.
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