Key aides involved in the second Reagan debate preparation were James Baker, David Gergen, and David Stockman. They had access to briefing papers from the Carter campaign. The importance of these documents is still in question. At the time the second debate took place, Reagan was ahead in the polls 43 to 37 with 11 percent undecided. The stakes were high for this debate, especially since Carter had the possibility of an October surprise, such as the release of the hostages in Iran.