Over 70 million Americans watched the vice-presidential debate between Senator Joe Biden and Governor Sarah Palin. Although the general consensus seems to be that Biden won the debate, Palin didn't let her fellow Republicans down. Given her recent interviews with Katie Couric, Palin had many Republicans worried. Not anymore. Speaking with Democrats and Republicans alike, all seem to share the opinion that Palin did better than expected. Still, many are concerned about whether she is ready to lead our country, even from a vice-presidential position.
When asked what their greatest concern was in relation to Governor Palin, one undecided voter said, “She couldn't answer the questions with a straight answer. She kept going back to things she talked about before like energy. She should have been answering Gwen Eifel's new questions.” A McCain supporter had his own concerns, “I understand that Governor Palin was trying to reach out to middle America with her, what they are calling “folksy” talk, but I think while it might have worked for say, someone like President Clinton, Republicans expect more out of their leaders. It just didn't strike me as effective.”
Senator Biden did well in defending his positions, especially concerning the economy. 7 out of 8 undecided voters named the economic crisis as the issue most directly affecting their family. When asked how they are seeing this directly impact their lives, one woman had this to say: “Prices of food and gas. No wage increases. I work for the state. Insurance premiums are outweighing any wage increase that we do get.”
Although this debate brought out a record number of viewers, none of the undecided voters were any closer to reaching a decision as to who they will vote for in four weeks. What are they looking for? “A little hope…” one voter said.
