CBS Poll: Uncommitted Voters Say Obama Won Debate

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Debates

UPDATED CBS News and Knowledge Networks have, once again, conducted a nationally representative poll of uncommitted voters to get their immediate reaction to tonight's presidential debate.

And this new poll has good news for the Democratic ticket: Just as in the first presidential debate and the vice presidential face off, more uncommitted voters say the Democratic candidate won the debate. (We've updated this post with final numbers.)

Forty percent of the 516 uncommitted voters surveyed identified Barack Obama as tonight's winner; 26 percent said John McCain won, while 34 percent saw the debate as a draw.

After the debate, 68 percent of uncommitted voters said that they think Obama will make the right decisions on the economy, compared to 55 percent who said that before the debate. Fewer thought McCain would do so – 48 percent after the debate, and 41 percent before.

Before the debate, 59 percent thought Obama understands voters' needs and problems; that rose to 80 percent after the debate. For McCain, 33 percent felt he understands voters' needs before the debate, and 44 percent thought so afterwards.

There is some good news for McCain, who still dominates Obama when it comes to perceptions of readiness to be president. Before the debate, 42 percent thought Obama was prepared for the job, and that percentage rose to 58 percent after the debate. But 77 percent felt McCain was prepared for the job before the debate, and 83 percent thought so afterwards.

Before the debate, 51 percent thought Obama would bring real change; afterwards, 63 percent thought that. For McCain, just 23 percent thought he would bring real change before the debate, while 38 percent thought so afterwards.

Fifty-seven percent thought McCain answered the questions that were asked, and an identical percentage thought Obama did.

Seventy-two percent of uncommitted voters remained uncommitted after the debate. Fifteen percent committed to Obama, and 12 percent to McCain.

We will have a full report on the poll later on. Uncommitted voters are those who don't yet know who they will vote for, or who have chosen a candidate but may still change their minds.

Click here for the complete poll

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by usafuture October 8, 2008 5:58 PM EDT: To nonracists in the USA-

Now is the time for good people to stand up and condemn and race-baiting and hate mongering that Palin is stooping to in her campaign appearances. When she incites people to violence by her blatant distortions and her supporters begin shouting "Treason!", "kill him" and "sit down boy" to a black cameraman, courageous people need to stop this by saying enough is enough. It is on white people particularly to call out this mean-spirited, racist people. What kind of country are we if we pander to people who promote violence? God keep Obama and Biden safe, and it will be on Palin''s head and conscience (if she has one) if anything happens. Don''t allow hate to spread unchecked.; Reply to this comment


by adda78 October 8, 2008 4:09 PM EDT: After last night debate, I decided to become Obama supporter. If you trust average middle class people than please join me to support Obama. But if you trust big, rich, and greedy corporation then you can join McCain.
If you want another fact, please check on internet on how AIG spent $$$ on party for their CEOs after the bailout.; Reply to this comment


by supergrn October 8, 2008 3:22 PM EDT: With less then a month to the election if you STILL don''t know who you are voting for you have been living under a rock! Do your homework people! This is a no brainer! Obama is a clear choice!
Make sure you vote early or show up on election day to vote. Ignore exit polls until you cast YOUR vote; Reply to this comment


by supergrn October 8, 2008 3:10 PM EDT: With less then a month to the election if you STILL don''t know who you are voting for you have been living under a rock! Do your homework people! This is a no brainer! Obama is a clear choice!; Reply to this comment


by cowtale1 October 8, 2008 3:02 PM EDT: I think that the polls are rigged. The reason that I say that is because when they were speculating about who would win Pennsylvania, they stated that they only polled 597 people and obama won...
when we are looking at the poll and the number of people that are participating... we are not accounting for the fact that these polls do not cover the vast amount of people in each state. So, with that said, how could obama win Pennsylvania based on the opinion of just 597 people polled.

or even look at all of the other states, this is what is happening. You can not poll based on just 597 people or even 1200 people because they do not represent the millions of voters in the state. So for commentators and reporters to analysis this and say who won what state and who is going to win... its godlike.
When did the media determine who won if the people of the united states have not even voted yet?

Isn''t the decision of the entire country and not the main stream media to decide at and on election day who we want as our new president?

I am outraged and have asked this question to everyone... how can 597 people at 2 am in the morning when the poll was finalized and was only out there offered to people on the web for 3 hours determine the fate of a state? and once you put that up on the news... well then that is it, it now is fact?

concerned voter in PA.; Reply to this comment


by elyn22000 October 8, 2008 2:56 PM EDT: McCain=arrogant/pretentious. No doubt he is qualified to pursue the office of President. His years in government, becoming the consummate politician, may be, however, the most repugnant thing about him.
Obama=eloquent/conciliatory. The Democratic message is appeasing: compassion, respect, tolerance. Therein is its downfall. They are sometimes right; ethnicity, gender, economic standing, education, cultural heritage don%u2019t dictate one%u2019s worth. But they also require tolerance of lifestyle issues: religion, media choice, sexual choice, reproductive choice, gender identity. They insist that religious views stay in the home and not be imposed on others. They rant about people who would legislate a woman%u2019s womb. Just because it''s not right for YOU doesn%u2019t mean it%u2019s wrong for someone else, a unique individual with the right to live his own way.
They see themselves as progressive, but we have been here before: In those days...everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Judg21:25 You shall not at all do as we are doing here today-every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes. Deut12:8

I can%u2019t say I like McCain. But I can never support, as a God-fearing person, the platform of relative morality.

It%u2019s not too late. God, eternal & changeless, said to His people: if they will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 2 Chr7:14; Reply to this comment


by jenkinsbrad October 8, 2008 2:40 PM EDT: Both performed well last night but none gave us new information on how they''ll govern or why they should be elected. They threw in excerpts from their stump speeches however, as an independent voter, I can''t and won''t forgive the Republican party for getting the U.S. (and the world) into this mess. Our American brand is temporarily tarnish because of Iraq and now the economy. The Bush administration (might as well include "erratic" John McCain in there) has been able to do what the 9/11 terrorists weren''t - cripple our economy. How dare "erratic" John send out his VP candidate and try to associate Barack with a radical from the 60''s when the real "home-grown" terrorist was sitting in the white house for the past 8 years, staunchly supported by "erratic" John. But now they want America to ignore all of that because "erratic" John and Sarah wants us to believe they''re going to bring about change. Last night''s debate solidified my decision to vote for Obama. John''s strategy has been to mimic all the new ideas created by the Obama campaign. I can hardly blame Obama for not providing more details on how he''s going to rescue the economy because "erratic" John would simply adopt them as his own plan. Sort of like adopting the "CHANGE" platform when his original plans were failing. Obama''s been the leader from the start.; Reply to this comment


by moregrind October 8, 2008 2:27 PM EDT: @VonGustav

Here we go. another xenophobic, racist republican.
"He has a foreign name. He MUST be evil. I don''t trust anyone not named after one of the 12 disciples! REPUBLITARDS FOR LIFE!"
Btw all of McCain''s efforts to help the economy sucked. That''s why the bill got shot down. And yeah, you are a smart one, aren''t you? I too think the health care crisis, skyrocketing insurance costs, and predatory loans are irrelevant issues.
FAIL!; Reply to this comment


by moregrind October 8, 2008 2:19 PM EDT: Yeah, I was being sarcastic. But the fact that you thought I was serious goes to prove my point: plenty of Republitards think like that. You can call me a troll if you want, but look at the Republicans that were screaming "kill him" about Obama at the Palin rally, and shouting racists remarks to an African-American sound technician for the media.; Reply to this comment


by pmaldona October 8, 2008 2:14 PM EDT: google: "Sarah Palin Joe Vogler" for some good information....Miss Palin is a HYPOCRITE! and she needs to be exposed! It''s apparent Mccain is just an angry, bitter, old man and his disdain for Obama is sad but laughable...I''m voting for "THAT ONE"..You know "THAT ONE" that was right about the Iraq war all along? THAT ONE that is going to win in fairly easily November 4th...THAT ONE that cares about the middle class and wants to make sure every child in this country has health insurance. "THAT ONE" is exactly what I want in office, not a short,lying,embittered,marginally racist 72 year old, who if he should die (god help us!) the worst VP candidate in history will be handed the reins to this country and will drive us str8 into the sh@tter.; Reply to this comment