Final answer:
In the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates, Stephen Douglas was elected senator, which could be seen as him winning the debates. However, Abraham Lincoln gained national recognition which helped his future political career, making the notion of a clear winner complex.
Step-by-step explanation:
If I were a newspaper reporter sent to cover the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates, declaring a winner would depend heavily on my perspective at the time. Officially, Stephen Douglas won the debate in terms of immediate political success, as he was re-elected senator of Illinois. However, Abraham Lincoln's eloquent arguments and moral stance against slavery elevated his national profile significantly, setting the stage for his eventual election as president. The debates did not have a clear victor, since each candidate succeeded in different ways - Douglas in retaining his Senate seat and Lincoln in gaining national recognition and setting the foundation for his presidential campaign.
The central issue of the debates was slavery and its expansion, a topic of great controversy that split the nation. While northerners were likely to celebrate Lincoln's performance and his stance against the spread of slavery, southerners and those in favor of popular sovereignty may have viewed Douglas as the winner for defending this principle. Ultimately, the debates were not about who 'won' in an absolute sense; they were significant for airing critical national issues and elevating the political discourse.