"He seemed calm, confident, and articulate," Woodruff said. "Gore avoided specifics, but Bush didn't try to be all things to all people."

Still, members of the Harvard Democrats were on the defensive Wednesday night, as Gore tried to rebound from the accusations of exaggeration.

"It's more important for a president to be intellectually capable of making decisions than to remember minor details that he can look up," said Jessica L. Richman '01, vice-president of the Harvard Democrats.

Harvard Democrat Ari Z. Weisbard '02-'03 said he appreciated Gore's willingness to offer specifics.

"I'm glad Gore is willing to risk slipping up if it means he's going to address the issues head-on," Weisbard said.

Some of the Democrats questioned Bush's intellectual capabilities at a few points during the night--snickering when Bush stumbled.

But Republican viewers said Bush handled specific questions about foreign policy--his weak point--with skill.