Gore, Bush Preparing for Final DebateUS Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore and his Republican rival George W. Bush prepared for their third debate scheduled in St. Louis on Tuesday night, their last face-to-face showdown before the November 7 election.Vice President Gore arrived in St. Louis Sunday night and prepared for a town hall meeting, the debate format that advisers say is his strongest after spending 18 years in Congress. Gore held an hour-long mock town hall on Monday with 23 "real people" debate coaches, a group that Gore called "our happy band." After his aggressive and sigh-filled approach in the first debate with Bush was criticized, Gore muted his style in their second debate. He was seen by many observers as too pushy at the first debate, and too passive at the second one. Texas Governor George W. Bush got a boost from the second debate in Winston-Salem on October 11, with national polls showing that he is slightly ahead of Gore. Unlike the first debate in which the candidates stood at lecterns, or the second where they sat at a curved table, the last debate will be held in television talk-show style with both Bush and Gore free to walk about the stage or perched on stools during the 90-minute debate. The format is not Bush's favorite, but he was not considering major strategy shifts from their previous encounters as he practiced answering questions, perched on a stool in the governor's mansion, campaign officials said. "He's approaching it very similarly to the way he approached the other two debates," Bush campaign spokesman Ari Fleischer said. The Texas governor rehearsed at the Governor's Mansion on Sunday, taking sample questions from aides and getting used to the format of town hall meeting. Bush said he would be comfortable fielding undecided voters' questions in Tuesday's debate because "I know what I believe." "I've answered a lot of questions from audiences and I'm looking forward to it," Bush said Monday as he left Austin, Texas for a rally in Arkansas before going to St. Louis. Bush plans to travel to Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania after Tuesday's debate while Gore's post-debate plans include stops in Missouri, Michigan, Louisiana, New Orleans and New York. |
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