Town meeting finds Gore-Bush encounter inconclusive

TAMPA, Florida (CNN) -- Undecided voters participating in a CNN/Time "town meeting" in the battleground state of Florida seemed to consider Tuesday's presidential debate between Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush a draw.

Many undecided voters offered mixed reactions to the first presidential debate between Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush when speaking with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, left, at the University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida

The panel gathered at the University of Tampa to discuss the debate after the encounter between Gore, the Democratic candidate for president, and Bush, the Republican contender. A significant number of people considered the event a draw, though more of those who did see a winner in Tuesday's face-off scored the event for Gore over Bush.

Only two appeared to have been convinced to vote for one candidate or another -- one for Bush, one for Gore. Despite several substantive exchanges on key issues between the two major-party candidates, many of the voters at the Tampa forum said they wanted to hear more detail before pulling the lever in November.

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CNN's Wolf Blitzer hosts a town meeting on Bush-Gore debate Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Watch the town hall meeting: Part 2 Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Watch the town hall meeting: Part 3 Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Watch the town hall meeting: Part 4 Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) Watch the town hall meeting: Part 5 Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

"I didn't really hear anything that I wanted to," said Travis Abercrombie, an education student at the university.

An 18-year-old preparing to vote for the first time, Abercrombie said many of his fellow students tuned out Tuesday night.

"I'd be surprised if any of them were watching this right now," he said. "No one really cares about the presidential election until they get older. For me to be here right now is kind of weird."

Among other issues the group at the university wanted to hear more about were gun control, retaining teachers in public schools and the U.S. role in the Middle East.

Yolanda Clifton said Gore appeared more studied than Bush on the issues, particularly on international policy questions.

"Bush seemed to stumble a lot on those issues," she said, but Bush's appeal for a new civility and bipartisan tone in Washington intrigued her. "I'm still not convinced."

One of those on the Tampa panel who was convinced was Valerie Powell, who said she would vote for Gore.

"I've been voting Republican for all my voting life, and I've decided to change parties," she said. The vice president "managed to say what I needed to hear," she said. "I was confident in his speech, his tone. He was professional, he wasn't derogatory."