A majority of debate watchers think Senator Barack Obama won the third and final presidential debatein the US, according to a national poll conducted by CNN and Opinion Research Corporation by phone on Wednesday night.

Fifty-eight percent of the watchers questioned said Democratic runner Obama did the best job in the debate, with 31 percent saying Republican Senator John McCain performed best.

The economy was the dominant issue of the debate, and 59 percent of debate watchers polled said Obama would do a better job handling the economy, 24 points ahead of McCain.

During the debate, McCain attacked Obama's stance on taxes, accusing Obama of seeking tax increases that would "spread the wealth around." But by 15 points, 56 percent to 41 percent, debate watchers polled said Obama would do a better job on taxes. By a 2-1 margin, 62 percent to 31 percent, debate watchers said Obama would do a better job on health care.

Sixty-six percent of debate watchers said Obama more clearly expressed his views, with 25 percent saying McCain was more clear about his views.

McCain won in two categories. Eighty percent of debate watchers polled said McCain spent more time attacking his opponent, with seven percent saying Obama was more on the attack. Fifty-four percent said McCain seemed more like a typical politician during the debate, with 35 percent saying Obama acted more like a typical politician.

During the debate, McCain demanded to know the full extent of Obama's relationship with William Ayers, a 1960s radical. Fifty-one percent of the watchers said the democrat's connection to Ayers did not matter at all to them, with 23 percent saying it mattered a great deal.

CNN's estimate of the number of Democrats in the voting age population as a whole indicates the sample is about 3 to 4 points more Democratic than the population as a whole, but also about 2 to 3 points more Republican than the population as a whole.

Eighty-eight percent of Democrats questioned in the poll said Obama did the best job, with 68 percent of Republicans saying McCain performed best. Among independents, 57 percent said Obama did the best job, with 31 percent backing McCain as the winner of the debate.

The candidates first debated in Oxford, Mississippi, on September 26. Fifty-one percent of debate watchers polled by CNN and the Opinion Research Corporation said Obama won that debate, with 38 percent saying McCain performed best. The second presidential debate was held in Nashville, Tennessee, on October 7 and 54 percent of debate watchers polled said Obama won, compared with 30 percent who said McCain did the best job.

The running mates, Democratic Senator Joe Biden of Delaware and Republican Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska faced off in Saint Louis, Missouri, in the single vice presidential debate October 2. Fifty-one percent of debate watchers polled said Biden won, and 36 percent said Palin won.

The post-debate polls do not reflect the views of all Americans. They only represent the views of people who watched the debates.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!