Debate Diary: What does it mean to “win” a debate from a candidate perspective?

This is part of a series of articles examining and explaining the debate process in preparation for the U.S. Senate debate between Mark Warner and Jim Gilmore. The two will debate live Oct. 3 in Roanoke. Read related articles.

In the political consulting industry, there’s an old adage that candidates do not really win debates, but they can certainly lose them. From a campaign perspective, a candidate “wins” or succeeds in a debate by:

*Creating and reinforcing an image of leadership
*Successfully “hitting” the campaign’s main issues and policy positions
*Avoiding missteps or mistakes
*Controlling the pre and post-debate media spin
*Being perceived as “winner” of the debate
*Reinforcing core constituencies and targeting the undecided voters
*Positive movement in the polls