Al Gore put up some points but failed to deliver a knockout punch to George W. Bush that some members of an Enquirer voter panel expected.

        Against an experienced debater like Mr. Gore, Hamilton County Public Defender Lou Strigari, 55, of Cleves expected a weaker performance from Mr. Bush.

        “Bush at least did not seem to be an empty suit. He had a backbone,” Mr. Strigari said.

        “I was surprised by that because the expectations were so high.”

        Mr. Strigari, one of six voters who watched the 90-minute debate at the Enquirer's downtown office, said Mr. Bush came off as more personal.

        “I would like to see him more in my living room than Gore for the next four years,” he said.

        Shirley Sanders, 53, of Fort Mitchell, said Mr. Gore was the clear winner but conceded the debate was closer than she anticipated.

        “Gore won,” said Ms. Sanders, a legal assistant. “I think most of his issues resonate with people. With me I know they do.

        “Bush made some good points. But if you compare it to a football game, Vice President Gore had the ball for a bigger percentage of the game ... but I don't think it was a knockout.”

        Fort Thomas lawyer Jeff Sanders, 42, felt Mr. Gore won a very tight constest with a strong closing statement.

        “Overall, I think the debate was very close, maybe even a tossup with some people,” said Mr. Sanders, a Democrat who supports the vice president.

        “But Gov. Bush seemed to whine about the past eight years as if the economy was poor. I did not understand many of the complaints. “Where has he been?”

        Tina Rechtin, 48, of Newport is an undecided voter who couldn't pick a winner. But she did grow tired of some of Mr. Gore's rhetoric over Mr. Bush's proposed tax cut.

        “As much as I'm trying to put one over another I just can't do it,” Mrs. Rechtin said. “I didn't like either one tonight.

        “I was not impressed and I got more upset with Gore with his "wealthiest 1 percent' deal,'” Mrs. Rechtin said, referring to Mr. Gore's repeated comment that the nation's richest people would benefit the most under Mr. Bush's tax plan.

        Xavier University student Sam Malone, 29, of Bond Hill called the debate “a split.”

        “I appreciated Bush's concern and respect for the military. I think that is a very important part of America,” he said.

        “Gore seemed a little bit more poised.”

        Eric Siemer, 40, owner of a bicycle shop in Corwin, gave Mr. Gore the win but felt neither candidate matched up to the performance given by Green Party candidate Ralph Nader, who appeared Monday night on Larry King's nationally televised cable talk show.

        “I think Nader sounded a lot better than both of them,” he said.

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