Kamala Harris wins instant poll after vice presidential debate with Mike Pence but focus group of undecided voters say he ‘looks presidential’
- A poll taken immediately after the vice presidential debate shows Kamala Harris coming out on top with 59 per cent claiming she won the face-off
- The CNN poll showed only 41 per cent of viewers thought VP Mike Pence won
- However, a focus group of 13 undecided voters said Pence looked ‘presidential’ while Harris came off ‘unpresidential,’ ‘evasive,’ ‘snarky’ and ‘nervous’
- Pence and Harris faced off in the first and only vice presidential debate in Utah on Wednesday evening
A poll taken immediately after the vice presidential debate Wednesday evening shows nearly six in 10 registered voters believe Kamala Harris bested Vice President Mike Pence.
The CNN Instant Poll was released Thursday morning and shows 59 per cent of registered voters believe Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris won the debate compared to the 38 per cent who say Pence won.
A focus group of undecided voters discussing the night, however, said Pence appeared ‘presidential’ during the 90-minute debate while the same group described Harris as ‘unpresidential.’
When the focus group, organized and run by political consultant and pollster Frank Luntz, was asked to use one word to describe Harris, they also said the California senator came off ‘evasive,’ ‘nervous,’ ‘snarky’ and ‘too rehearsed.’
Of the 13 included in the group, nine were men.
Pence and Harris met on stage at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City Wednesday evening in the first, and only, vice presidential debate of the 2020 election.
A poll taken immediately following the vice presidential debate Wednesday evening shows registered voters feels Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris won the face-off
Nearly six in 10 voters said Harris won against the vice president, compared to the 38 per cent who feel Pence won
While the face-off was much more civil than the first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden last Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio – there were some points of the night where the two clashed and talked over one another.
Harris made history earlier this summer when Biden announced her as his pick to run as the first ever minority woman on a presidential ticket for a major political party.
Among women polled as part of CNN’s survey, 69 per cent said they felt Harris won the debate, while only 30 per cent said they felt Pence won.
In Luntz’s focus group, the only black participant, Kimberly from Ohio, said Harris looked ‘nervous’ as she claimed Pence’s experience on the stage showed.
She did say that the debate made obvious that women are perceived differently than their male counterparts – pointing out how nobody discussed facial expressions during last week’s presidential debate between Biden and Trump.
A focus group of undecided voters, however, claim Pence appeared ‘presidential’ during the debate while they say Harris came off ‘unpresidential,’ ‘evasive,’ ‘nervous,’ ‘snarky’ and ‘too rehearsed’
Men were still on the side of Harris, but at a much smaller margin. Forty-eight per cent said they felt Harris won to the 46 per cent who sided with Pence.
The survey was taken directly after the debate Wednesday night among 609 registered voters who watched the event.
Of those polled, 38 per cent are registered Democrats, 29 per cent Republican and 33 per cent identify as independent.
Harris was able to improve her favorability rating among those who tuned in Wednesday.
Pre-debate interviews show 56 per cent had a positive view of the senator beforehand, which then rose to 63 oer cent after the debate. For Pence, his favorability stood at 41% in both pre- and post-debate interviews.
The debate was a wash for Pence’s favorability – as he had 41 per cent approval in both pre- and post-debate polls and interviews.