Here Are The Results of SurveyUSA News Poll #14544

Geography Surveyed: State of Washington
Data Collected: 10/07/2008
Release Date: 10/07/2008 11:05 PM ET
Sponsor: KING-TV Seattle

In Striking Contrast to 1st McCain-Obama Debate, State of Washington Sees Obama as 'Clear Winner' of Round #2: Immediately following tonight's town-hall debate, SurveyUSA interviewed 1,000 state of Washington adults, of whom 741 watched the debate. Of debate watchers:

54% say Obama was the clear winner.
29% say McCain was the clear winner.
18% say there was no clear winner.
After the first Presidential Debate, Washington State gave McCain equal marks with Obama. Tonight, Obama margin is almost 2:1.

Debate audience was split on whether candidates spent too much time, or just the right amount of time, attacking each other. Audience was 21% Republican, 40% Democrat, 38% Independent. This is significant because it means some Republicans may have lost interest in the race. Republican audience was larger for the 1st presidential and the vice presidential debate. Republicans by 7:1 saw McCain as the clear winner. Democrats by 11:1 saw Obama as the clear winner. Independents, the most critical and coveted group, broke 5:3 for Obama.

42% say McCain was too forceful. 20% say he was not forceful enough. 35% say McCain was just right. 18% say Obama was too forceful. 20% say Obama was not forceful enough. 58% say Obama was just right.

Washington state debate watchers say Obama laid out a better vision for America's future, McCain appeared more angry.

Moderator Tom Brokaw was seen as impartial. SurveyUSA state of Washington research conducted exclusively for KING-TV Seattle.


1
  Asked of 741 debate watchers
  Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 3.7%

Was John McCain the clear winner? Was Barack Obama the clear winner? Or, was there no clear winner?

29% John McCain
54% Barack Obama
18% No Clear Winner

2
  Asked of 741 debate watchers
  Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 3.7%

Did the candidates spend too much time attacking each other? Too little time? Or the right amount of time?

41% Too Much
14% Too Little
41% Just The Right Amount
4% Not Sure

3
  Asked of 741 debate watchers
  Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 3.6%

Was Barack Obama too forceful? Not forceful enough? Or just right?

18% Too Forceful
20% Not Forceful Enough
58% Just Right
4% Not Sure

4
  Asked of 741 debate watchers
  Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 3.7%

Was John McCain too forceful? Not forceful enough? Or just right?

42% Too Forceful
20% Not Forceful Enough
35% Just Right
3% Not Sure

5
  Asked of 741 debate watchers
  Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 3.7%

Which candidate was more angry?

49% McCain
21% Obama
29% Not Sure

6
  Asked of 741 debate watchers
  Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 3.6%

Which candidate laid out a better vision for America's future?

35% McCain
60% Obama
6% Not Sure

7
  Asked of 741 debate watchers
  Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 2.2%

Was the moderator of the debate, Tom Brokaw, fair to both candidates? Unfair to McCain? Or Unfair to Obama?

90% Fair To Both
5% Unfair To McCain
4% Unfair To Obama
2% Not Sure

8
  Asked of 741 debate watchers
  Margin of Sampling Error for this question = ± 3.5%

Was the town-hall format successful? Or unsuccessful?

65% Successful
21% Unsuccessful
14% Not Sure

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