▁as ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Senate , ▁refused ▁to ▁entertain ▁a ▁motion ▁to ▁strip ▁Pot ts ▁of ▁his ▁committee ▁assign ments . ▁His ▁r uling ▁was ▁u ph eld ▁on ▁a ▁ 2 7 – 9 ▁vote . ▁▁ ▁Kil g ore ▁refused ▁to ▁debate ▁Russ ▁Pot ts , ▁a ▁decision ▁which ▁column ist ▁Bar nie ▁Day ▁said ▁could ▁strength en ▁Pot ts ' ▁under dog ▁appeal ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁poor ▁decision ▁by ▁Kil g ore . ▁It ▁is ▁unclear ▁whether ▁this ▁had ▁any ▁effect ▁on ▁the ▁election ' s ▁outcome . ▁Russ ▁Pot ts ▁pol led ▁ 9 % ▁in ▁a ▁Mason - D ixon ▁poll , ▁but ▁then ▁dropped ▁to ▁ 6 % ▁in ▁a ▁September ▁poll . ▁He ▁needed ▁to ▁poll ▁ 1 5 % ▁in ▁two ▁separate ▁pol ls ▁to ▁qual ify ▁for ▁participation ▁in ▁the ▁October ▁K aine - K il g ore ▁debate . ▁This ▁poll ▁was ▁taken ▁before ▁Pot ts ' ▁TV ▁ad s ▁ran . ▁Although ▁Pot ts ▁was ▁ex cluded ▁from ▁the ▁final ▁debate , ▁he ▁agreed ▁to ▁be ▁se quest ered ▁in ▁an ▁office ▁at ▁Richmond ' s ▁W TV R - TV ▁during ▁Sunday ▁evening ' s ▁debate ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁allowed ▁to ▁hear ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁questions ▁nor ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁answers ▁offered ▁by ▁his ▁oppon ents . ▁Min utes ▁after ▁the ▁debate ▁ended , ▁Pot ts ▁was ▁taken ▁into ▁W TV R - TV ▁stud ios ▁where ▁the ▁station ▁played ▁back ▁the ▁debate ▁in ▁real ▁time ▁and ▁recorded ▁Pot ts '