In the latest Reuters/MSNBC poll of likely voters conducted before Tuesday night's debate, Republican presidential nominee, George W. Bush, held a slim 44%-43% lead over Democratic rival, Al Gore, heading into the “town hall meeting” at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

And, like two cautious prize fighters who have spent the early rounds of their boxing match carefully feeling each other out, Bush and Gore went into Tuesday night's third and final round looking to land the knockout punch that would finally break open one of the tightest presidential races our nation has ever seen.

By most accounts, Gore was the aggressor and came out swinging, challenging Bush to clear up his position on patient's rights legislation. Bush was less aggressive and spoke more of his abilities to unite both Democrats and Republicans to get legislation passed.

It is still unclear whether either side scored that "knockout punch" with the voters. Immediate polls conducted by two TV networks following the debate failed to show a solid winner. A CBS poll saw Gore edging Bush, 45-40 percent, while an ABC poll scored it a 41-41 tie. However, six out of seven political analysts interviewed by Reuters following the debate saw Gore as the victor.

So what do you think -- did you watch Tuesday night's debate? Who won the final battle? Will the events of the debate affect the poll numbers significantly - beyond the "day-after" numbers?

Here are some additional issues to consider:

• The same Reuters/MSNBC pre-debate poll showed that 7 percent of likely voters remained undecided entering the debate. Another 17 percent indicated they could still change their minds before Election Day, leaving essentially 24% of likely voters “up-for-grabs” heading into last night. Do you think any voters’ minds were changed based on what was said (or wasn’t said) in last night’s debate? 

• In your opinion, which of the two candidates appeared to be better prepared?  

• Which candidate demonstrated the most knowledge of the issues?  

• How did each candidate’s performance compare to his respective performances in the first two debates?  

• In general, do you think either candidate improved or hurt his chances considerably based on his performance in last night’s debate? 

• Moderator Jim Lehrer has received criticism from both parties for his failure to ask good follow up questions and his tendency to let the debates wander. Is this criticism justified? How would you rate moderator Jim Lehrer’s performance in last night's debate?  

• What did you think of the “town hall meeting”? Did this format suit one candidate better than the other? Did you think the audience members asked good questions?  

• Finally, on Monday, the night before the debate, Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan, his son Randy and a campaign aide were killed in an airplane crash. Do you think the debate should have been postponed out of respect for the deceased? Did these events have any effect on the proceedings?