If the Harvard Law School decided this year's presidential election, Al Gore '69 might be on top.

Those are the results of a straw poll conducted after a debate last night between the Harvard Law School Democrats and the school's Republican Club, entitled "Grudge Match 2000: Dems vs. GOP."

Around 200 students attended a sometimes-rowdy debate that included chanting and booing. The BBC covered the event for broadcast on British television and featured free beer for audience members.

At the conclusion of the debate, the moderator called for a division of the house and the Gore won with a two-thirds majority.

Timothy R. Shannon, Megan A. Jones and Michael J. Gottlieb--all law school students--represented the Gore campaign.

Law students Mike G. Adams, Chris J. Ward and Megan R. Leef argued for George W. Bush.

The debates, on the subject of whether Bush should be elected president, were based on the Oxford format, in which each debater speaks for seven minutes on the resolution at hand. After the first minute, anyone can rise to ask the speaker a question. This goes on for five minutes, with the last minute reserved for the speaker.

Both sides used rhetorical tactics. Adams compared the Clinton administration and Gore to a "bad doggie."