Fox News Poll: Clinton ahead of Trump after debate, fear motivating both sides

Hillary Clinton has gained ground on Donald Trump, who has slipped in key measures of the presidential race after the first debate. First, the horserace. Clinton is ahead of Trump by three percentage points: 43-40 percent in the four-way matchup, according to a new Fox News Poll of likely voters. […] Read more »

Clinton’s Victory on the Larger Side for Modern Debates

By 61% to 27%, Americans who tuned in to Monday night’s presidential debate believe Hillary Clinton, rather than Donald Trump, did the better job. Her 34-percentage-point lead is among the more robust victories presidential candidates have earned in Gallup’s post-debate polls stretching back to 1960, on par with Bill Clinton’s […] Read more »

Debating the debate

We enjoy believing debates are central determinants of election outcomes. They give campaigns a focus, journalists a hook around which to wrap their coverage and citizens the illusion that we render verdicts based on intellectual trial by combat. In truth, though, debates have probably never decided a presidential election. That […] Read more »