You Say Rudy Was Most Damaged By Debate

More than half (57%) of voters in our latest Quick Poll! thought Rudy Giuliani, of all the leading GOP candidates, had done most damage to his presidential chances in last week’s debate. John McCain was the choice of 34% and Mitt Romney scored just 9%.

Some commentators disliked the question, seeing it as biased because of its assumption that damage had been done, and also because there was no similar poll after the Democrats’ debate. The question arose, however, because of widespread dissatisfaction among Republicans with the candidates’ performances. Some said McCain was too scripted, others said Giuliani gradually came to pieces. There was no similar dispute after the Democrats’ debate; it was widely agreed that the worst flub that night was Barack Obama’s answer to a question about what he would do in the event of 911-type terrorist attack on the US.

The choice of Giuliani as the most undermined by the debate accords the view of our pundit, Dick Morris, that the debate organizers robber the former New York Mayor of significant air time.