Can polls tell who won a debate?

Debates FAQ Legacy blog posts

Start with these two posts on how instant polls and focus group aim to evaluate how candidates faired in a debate:

For more commentary, click on this link, or the link for the “debates” category, for a list of short excerpts of all of the posts on polls aimed at measuring reaction to the presidential debates. They will appear in reverse chronological order (most recent first).

Mark Blumenthal

Mark Blumenthal is political pollster with deep and varied experience across survey research, campaigns, and media. The original "Mystery Pollster" and co-creator of Pollster.com, he explains complex concepts to a multitude of audiences and how data informs politics and decision-making. A researcher and consultant who crafts effective questions and identifies innovative solutions to deliver results. An award winning political journalist who brings insights and crafts compelling narratives from chaotic data.