T. LOUIS - During the first presidential debate two weeks ago in Boston, Governor George W. Bush of Texas scored points with his talk of bipartisanship. His remarks earned him his highest marks on that subject from a group of 70 undecided voters who were gauging the performance of the two candidates in a ''dial test'' conducted by SWR Worldwide and underwritten by Harvard University.
Bush returned to the theme last night, talking repeatedly of putting ''partisanship aside'' and criticizing Washington-based solutions. But a group of undecided voters taking part in a similar test conducted by the same firm tuned out this time.
''It seems like he's used it up,'' said Greg Schneiders of SWR Worldwide, who was monitoring the results as the debate proceeded.
Early on, it seemed that Bush was put off balance by the questions posed by audience members in Missouri, questions that seemed to strike at the very issues that have been emphasized by Vice President Al Gore - middle-class concerns about health care, education, and tax relief.
During a discussion of a patient's bill of rights, Bush said, ''I brought Republicans and Democrats together to do just that in the state of Texas.''
Pressed by Gore to embrace a bipartisan bill sponsored by Representative John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, and Representative Charles Norwood, a Georgia Republican, Bush responded with a note of derision: ''Now it's a kind of Washington, D.C., focus in this committee. It has this sponsor.''
Afterwards, Democratic leaders milling about the media room were elated.
''I think Bush kept trying to find his answers,'' said Tad Devine, one of Gore's chief strategists. ''He was reaching and groping for answers and kept going back to his playbook.''
Devine said the Gore campaign was pleased by the questions, because they covered ''the issues that define our campaign.''
''These were questions on the top of the minds of real people: a patient's bill of rights, prescription drug coverage, core economic issues for working people. That's what people wanted to talk about, and I think we were helped a lot by these questions.''
Karen Hughes, one of Bush's top aides, said that she could understand why some viewers might believe the questions were skewed to Gore's advantage. ''But actually,'' she said, ''we were delighted by the questions. The debate gave the governor a chance to talk about his philosophy.''
A tough question in which a spectator challenged Bush for appearing to be proud of the number of executions in Texas ''gave the governor an opportunity to explain his position on the death penalty,'' Hughes said.
Bush kept hammering on the issue of bipartisanship, Hughes said, ''because he thinks the American people are looking for a leader who can get things done.''
She said she did not feel the theme had been played out. ''People are tired of partisan bickering. They're tired of the poisonous bickering in Washington,'' Hughes said, indicating that Bush would continue to talk about his ability to work with Democrats in Texas.
