• by October 14, 2004

With the third of the 2004 Presidential debates concluding last night and Election Day approaching, the pollsters are polling away.

AOL conducted polls before, during and after the debate - painting a picture of thousands of citizens across the country whose TVs are in direct sight of their computers - or who are curled up on the couch with the cat, the Wi-Fi, and the remote.

According to AOL's Highlight poll conducted before the debate, 54 percent of those surveyed said Senator John Kerry would win vs. 46 percent for President Bush. During the debate, John Kerry was winning with 53 percent. Afterwards, it dwindled slightly to 51 percent in Kerry's favor.

Coming into the debate, 28 percent of those polled by AOL Press Pass: Member React - Instant Polling Results described the debates as informative; 32 percent said combative; 25 said staged; and 15 percent said helpful. No matter their adjective of choice, 67 percent said that the debates influence their vote the most; 17 percent stand by the stump speeches; 12 percent cited the conventions; and only 4 percent prefer TV ads.

According to the same pre-debate poll, 73 percent said they would actually watch the debate; 4 percent preferred baseball; 14 percent said they would flip (or would that be flip-flop?) between the two; and 9 percent planned to watch neither. During the debate, Kerry had more confidence, according to 63 percent of those polled, and with 62 percent of participating AOL members behind him, he also won the debate.

In the end, AOL's Highlight poll found that 73 percent said the debate did not change their minds. Fifteen percent said they now support Kerry and 12 percent said they now support Bush.

Less than three weeks until the pollsters can have at it for 2008.

-Jennifer Coleman