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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Final debate turns heated 10/16/08 • Sharp tongues, no knockouts in final debates 10/16/08   CONTACT THE HERALD Do you have a news tip? newstips@heraldnet.com | 425.339.3400   Published: Thursday, October 16, 2008 Viewing voters dispute debate's victor By Pauline Arrillaga Associated Press It's still the economy, stupid -- or so said voters who tuned in across the country for the third and final presidential debate, a feisty face-off that was supposed to focus entirely on domestic issues and, most especially, the one matter weighing so heavily on Americans' minds and pocketbooks this political season. "Supposed to" because the 90-minute debate at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., also included a testy exchange about some of the personal attacks that have grown nastier in the waning days of the election. With less than three weeks until Election Day -- and the economic outlook appearing ever more grim -- this was the debate many voters had been waiting for. It was also perhaps the last, best chance for Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama to woo those still undecided. For McCain, behind in the polls, it represented an opportunity to gain some ground. The Arizona senator came out fighting, looking more the self-proclaimed "maverick" than he had in the previous two debates. It was a tricky balancing act, intended to energize his Republican base while not turning off those independent-minded swing voters he'll need to win come Nov. 4. For some debate watchers, he went too far. "The one thing that really impacted me tonight even more than before is this business of negativity," said Adele Beal, a 72-year-old retiree from Bloomfield Hills, Mich. "I am so tired of hearing McCain bash Obama. I didn't want to hear it anymore. ... I like the fact that Obama addressed the issues, and McCain kept trying to put Obama down. He (McCain) always has to get that little jab in, that little jab in. If he (McCain) were coming from more solid ground, he wouldn't need to do that." Beal watched all three presidential debates -- and the exchange between the vice presidential candidates -- before deciding whom to vote for. Her choice? "Obama," she said. "Without question." But while she disliked McCain's approach, the crowd at one restaurant in Florida ate it up. "I think he's doing a great job," said Kit Lowe, a registered Democrat who supported Hillary Clinton in the primary and now backs McCain. "I think he's putting it in the minds of the public right now, 'Who is Barack Obama?' " McCain challenged Obama directly about his association with 1960s anti-war radical William Ayers; labeled some of Obama's economic policies "class warfare"; and mocked Obama when he likened McCain's proposals to those of the Bush administration, saying: "If you wanted to run against President Bush, you should have run four years ago." Lowe watched with dozens of McCain supporters at Gatsby's, a restaurant in Davie, Fla., near Fort Lauderdale. The crowd clapped and hollered when the Republican spoke, and booed and laughed when it was Obama's turn. Rosa Perez, 42, who manages a telemarketing company, said she was left speechless by McCain's performance. "Definitely McCain won the debate," she said. "I was satisfied. I'm done." Perez supported Bill Clinton in his two campaigns, then became a Republican and backed President Bush, mostly because of social issues. She said she was happy McCain brought up Obama's connection to Ayers. "The people have the right to know what his past is." Coast to coast, voters listened closely as the candidates debated the nation's financial woes, a ballooning deficit, health care, energy, abortion and education. But even as some McCain supporters applauded his attack-dog stance, other voters chided him for spending so much time discussing Obama's past and negative ads when the economy is in collapse and Americans hurting. In Abington Township, a Philadelphia suburb that is regarded as a political bellwether in battleground Pennsylvania, about 160 voters gathered for a "Debate the Debate" program at Penn State University's Abington campus, watching the candidates, then registering their opinions via hand-held electronic survey devices. A pre-debate tally showed that 64 percent of these swing voters planned to vote for Obama, 27 percent supported McCain, while 7 percent were undecided and 2 percent preferred someone else. After the debate, McCain was virtually unchanged at 26 percent in the nonscientific survey, while Obama improved his standing to 70 percent, with only 3 percent undecided. Republican Susan Hopper, 48, a staff assistant at the school, came into the debate undecided. She left an Obama supporter, saying he explained his economic proposals more clearly than McCain. "He just came across so much more intelligently. He just made more sense," she said. "I was looking to see how McCain was going to present himself tonight, and he didn't sway me." Republican Dennis Malinger, 62, a retired chemical engineer, said he became a reluctant Obama supporter because he doesn't feel McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, is qualified. He, too, was disappointed in McCain's performance. "I've listened to all three debates and it sounded like McCain was giving stock answers. I don't agree with all of Obama's programs, but he explains them better." At another university viewing party -- this one at the University of California, Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies -- about 100 students sat outdoors in metal chairs, sipping sodas amid backpacks and stacks of books as they viewed the exchange. Some of these young voters are preparing to cast ballots for the first time, and they were listening for cues as to how the candidates would handle the economy, since many will have to start careers and find jobs under the next presidency. They proved a tough crowd. Tamar Lando, 29, is pursuing a Ph.D. in philosophy and plans to vote for Obama. But she was disappointed, saying he came across as "weak, hesitant, overly academic." "He's not on the attack enough," she said, "especially considering the stakes." For those who have followed the campaigns closely, the debate brought no surprises and no new proposals, said Benjamin Lessing, 34, a political science graduate student. But he was relieved that Obama, whom he supports, didn't cave in to pressure and promise broad cuts in federal spending, which Lessing believes would only add to the economy's downward spiral. "Obama was willing to say this is going to take a little time, we might not be able to balance the budget right away," he said. Some voters who came into the debate undecided remained so, including Berkeley graduate student Yuval Benjamini, working toward a Ph.D. in statistics. While supporting Obama on domestic issues, he remained uncertain whether the senator from Illinois would take U.S. foreign policy in the right direction. "Too big a switch, which might happen under Obama, might be problematic," Benjamini said. "After seeing this, I think it's time for a party change in the White House," said Aleonaid Zanders, 65, of Akron, Ohio. A registered Democrat, Zanders said he was undecided about the candidates going into the debate, but decided to go for Obama. "I made up my mind tonight...," Zanders said. "For me, McCain is running behind the times. ... McCain goes too far back in Washington. The problems are tough, and I didn't hear anything new from him. I think we're due for a change." For Roger Brewer, a 60-year-old registered nurse, the final debate did not help form a decision. The Etowah, N.C., Republican was undecided going in and ended up that way. "Occasionally I think Obama scored some style points. He can be gracious, which gains him points. McCain was a bit condescending at times, which lost him points," Brewer said. "But again, these are style issues, not content." So who won? "The moderator," Brewer said. Also contributing to this report were AP writers Juliana Barbassa in Berkeley, Calif; Sharon Cohen in Chicago; Todd Lewan in Orlando, Fla.; Michael Rubinkam in Abington Township, Pa.; and Matt Sedensky in Davie, Fla. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

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