USING ELECTRONIC DIALS, A GROUP OF 36 REGISTERED VOTERS WERE ASKED TO RATE THE CANDIDATE’S PERFORMANCE WHILE WATCHING THE DEBATE, ON A SCALE OF ZERO TO 10, A SCORE OF ZERO IS THE MOST NEGATIVE RESPONSE, FIVE IS NEUTRAL AND 10 IS THE MOST POSITIVE. THIS NEWSWEEK/NBC INSTANT RESPONSE SESSION WAS CONDUCTED BY THE LUNTZ RESEARCH COMPANIES.
9:02 p.m. opening: Each candidate was given two minutes to make an opening statement.
Clinton: Four years ago…I wanted to turn this country around with a program of opportunity for all…We passed Family and Medical Leave. Now let’s expand it so more people can succeed as parents in the work-force.
Question 9:19 p.m.: How do you personally avoid being unduly influenced by people who give you money or give you services in your campaigns?
Dole: It seems to me there’s a problem there, Mr. President. And I will address you as Mr. President. You didn’t do that with President Bush in 1992.
Question 9:26 p.m.: Mr. President, the senator suggested in the past that you bear some responsibility for the rise in drug use of teenagers in the United States. Is he right?
Clinton: Do I think that I bear some responsibility for the fact that too many of our children still don’t understand drugs are wrong? I think we all do.
Dole: In my administration we’re going to train the National Guard to stop it from coming across the border.
Question 9:.44 p.m.: What do you think should be done about the health care system?
Clinton: I signed a bill to stop these drive-by deliveries where insurance companies can force people out of the hospital after 24 hours, and I vetoed Sen. Dole’s Medicare plan that would have forced a lot of seniors into managed care.
Question 9:58 p.m.: Senator Dole, do you still favor eliminating the Dept. of Education?
Dole: Yes. Let’s turn the schools back to the teachers and the parents and take it away from the National Education Association.
Clinton: Our schools can be made to be even Better still with the right kind of community leadership and partnership at the school level.
Question 10:12 p.m.: Are there significant differences in the personal area that are relevant to this election?
Dole: The president could clarify one thing… I’ve never discussed Whitewater. I’m not discussing it now. But I am discussing a power the president has to grant pardons.
Question 10:26 p.m.: The candidates were given two minutes to make a closing statement.
Clinton: Folks, we can build that bridge to the 21st century big enough and strong enough for all of us to walk across. And I hope that you can help me build it.
Polling group: ^LEANING TO CLINTON -UNDECIDED +LEANING TO DOLE
CLINTON RATING Negative 2 3 4 Neutral 6 7 8 Positive ^^^^^^^^^^^^^7.8 ———6.3 3.8+++++++++
DOLE RATING Negative 2 3 4 Neutral 6 7 8 Positive 3.3^^^^^^^^^^ 4.6—– ++++++5.9
CLINTON RATING Negative 2 3 4 Neutral 6 7 8 Positive ^^^^^^^^^6.3 ————7.0 4.2+++++++ DOLE RATING Negative 2 3 4 Neutral 6 7 8 Positive ^5.0 ———6.3 +++++++++++++7.4
CLINTON RATING Negative 2 3 4 Neutral 6 7 8 Positive ^^^^^^^^^^^^^7.2 —————–8.1 4.6++++
DOLE RATING Negative 2 3 4 Neutral 6 7 8 Positive 4.8^^^^ ————-7.3 ++++++++++++++7.5 CLINTON RATING Negative 2 3 4 Neutral 6 7 8 Positive ^^^^^^^^^^6.6 —————7.8 4.1++++++
DOLE RATING Negative 2 3 4 Neutral 6 7 8 Positive 2.9^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 3.3———- ++++++++++6.6
CLINTON RATING Negative 2 3 4 Neutral 6 7 8 Positive ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^7.9 ————-7.5 4.3++++++
