CBS Poll: Obama Has Edge In Final Debate

By Large Margin, Uncommitted Voters Say Democrat Won The Last Debate Before The Election

(CBS)  Uncommitted voters named Barack Obama as the winner of the third and final presidential debate by a large margin, according to a CBS News/Knowledge Networks poll.

Obama was also named by uncommitted voters in this poll to have defeated John McCain in the first two presidential debates.

Immediately after the debate, CBS News interviewed a nationally representative sample of 638 debate watchers assembled by Knowledge Networks who were "uncommitted voters" - either undecided about who to vote for or who could still change their minds. Fifty-three percent said Obama won the debate, 22 percent said McCain won and another 25 percent thought it was a tie.

Democrats are usually perceived as better than Republicans at handling health care (a topic discussed in detail during the debate) -- and that was true for Obama. Before the debate, 61 percent of uncommitted voters said that Obama would make the right decisions about health care -- that rose to 68 percent after the debate. Only 27 percent thought McCain would do so before the debate -- afterwards it was just 30 percent.

Despite McCain's observations that Obama's policies would raise taxes, half of these voters after the debate think McCain would raise taxes if elected. However even more, 64 percnet, think Obama would.

The economy continues to be a critical issue for voters overall, and both before and after the debate more uncommitted debate watchers thought Obama more than McCain would make the right decisions on the economy. Before the debate, 54 percent said Obama would make the right decisions about the economy -- that rose to 65 percent after the debate. Thirty-eight percent said before the debate McCain would make the right decisions about the economy -- that increased to 48 percent after the debate.

However, far more uncommitted debate watchers trust John McCain to handle a crisis. Before the debate, 78 percent trusted McCain to handle a crisis -- afterwards, 82 percent trust him. Obama's ratings were lower than McCain on that measure, but did rise after the debate from 50 percent to 63 percent.

Far more uncommitted voters continue to think Obama understands their needs and problems than think that about McCain. Both before and after the debate, majorities of uncommitted voters felt Obama understood their needs and problems -- fewer said the same about McCain.

Both candidates are viewed similarly on sharing voters' values, but Obama increased a bit more than McCain did after the debate.

Forty-six of the uncommitted voters said that their image of Obama changed for the better as a result of this debate. Just 10 percent say their opinion of Obama got worse, and 44 percent reported no change in their opinions.

McCain's image improved, but not nearly as much. Thirty percent said their image of him improved as a result of the debate, but nearly as many - 26 percent -- said their views of him are now worse than before.

Debate watchers who thought Obama won the debate thought he was a better communicator and has a better grasp of the problems the country has to face. Some used words like "eloquent" and "confident" to describe him. In contrast, some said McCain was defensive and spent too much time attacking Obama - using words like "rude," "mean," and "caustic" to describe McCain's performance in the debate.

Debate watchers who thought McCain won the debate were impressed by his experience, and many were unsure about Obama's sincerity and credibility. Many were also concerned that Obama's solutions all required spending money.

As this poll has found after the previous debates, most uncommitted voters' minds have not changed. But more went Obama's way after this debate. Thirty percent of uncommitted voters who watched this debate said they are now committed to Obama, twice as many as the 14 percent who said they are now committed to McCain. Most - 57 percent - remain uncommitted.

Read the complete poll (PDF)

---

This CBS News poll was conducted online by Knowledge Networks among a nationwide random sample of 638 uncommitted voters - voters who don’t yet know who they will vote for, or who have chosen a candidate but may still change their minds - who have agreed to watch the debate. Knowledge Networks, a market and public policy research firm based in Menlo Park, CA, conducted the web poll among a sample of adult members of its panel, who are provided web access if they don't already have it. More technical information is available at http://www.knowledgenetworks.com/ganp/reviewer-info.html.

This is a scientifically representative poll of uncommitted voters’ reaction to the presidential debate. The margin of sampling error could be plus or minus 4 percentage points for results based on the entire sample.

[c-mo6]

Everyone please get out and vot on nov.4th. America deserves it!

[edla67]

BIASED and PRO-DEM POLL
What a shame reputable CBS airs such poll

Then, anyone heard about the ''Bradley effect''?
i bet on voting day millions of Americans will change their minds, kind of going from ''yes Obama is good, i dont care about his muslim roots'' to ''after all im gonna vote White''. Stay tuned...

[westafer2]

Welcome President Obama!

Good by George and Richard. We%u2019ll miss you because of the terrific job you did in deciding to invade Iraq and in keeping a close eye on Wall Street during your watch to prevent any serious shenanigans. Sorry Bill and Hillary. Of course we all really wanted to have you back again so Bill could have another shot at finding some more action with interns in the oval office. Too bad John and Sarah. It looks like we%u2019ll probably never get a chance to fulfill our wildest dream of someday having President Palin lead the free world. Welcome President Obama! You are an intelligent, articulate, and insightful 47 year old biracial man, a former instructor in constitutional law for 12 years, a 3 term Illinois State Senator, and a US Senator for the past 4 years who on November 4 will very likely win the right to begin what may be an eight year process of helping to unite, reform, and lead the greatest and most powerful country in the history of the planet, and in the process, despite the cynics, skeptics, and nay sayers, perhaps become the most practical, effective, and respected American president in modern times.

[dem4mccain08]

I just want all of you to remember (the one''s claiming ties to republican party and KKK) - Abraham Lincoln was a republican, savior of the African American. Just remember that when you vote in November.

[markrobbo79]

just to comment of the polls above and about the obama bias that seems to go on after every debate

"Immediately after the debate, CBS News interviewed a nationally representative sample of "638" debate watchers assembled by Knowledge Networks who were "uncommitted voters"

and then

"Forty-six of the uncommitted voters said that their image of Obama changed for the better as a result of this debate. "Just 10 percent" say their opinion of Obama got worse, and 44 percent reported no change in their opinions".

10% of 638 whos opinion of obama got worse is 63 people and 46 of people who said that there got better of him correct me if im wrong but thats a net loss

dont get me started on other polls that say obama won when these people clearly state to the pollers they have a prefrence but are uncommited and then CBS dont tell us what those leanings are - they could be 60% 40% in favour of democrats and that is hardly a fair poll - more of a biased poll if u ask me

[smurfcrusher]

Republicans are just so angry these days.

What could justify such a negative attitude?

[irmcvet97]

Posted by Rocca777 at 02:55 AM : Oct 17, 2008

LOL Man YOU need to look at and dive into the relationship between the KKK and the Republican Party!! LOL YOU think this Professor is a TERRORIST... Well Sparky the Klan makes him look like a child!

[irmcvet97]

Let''''s keep in mind that Obama probably lost all the independent voters sitting on the fence today in western PA. Once again Murtha "the traitor" opened his mouth and inserted his foot at the most inopportune time. Let''''s hear it from all you racist, red*neck, gun-toting, trailer trash from western PA. Who you gonna vote for? Either senility has reached Murtha or just a dumb MF. I think it''''s the latter of course!

Posted by gameoverdems at 05:37 AM : Oct 17, 2008


So YOU think Murtha''s statement will cause these people to vote FOR the Party that has brought them a CONSTANT and CONSISTENT drop in their standard of living? Yeah? No wonder you people voted for the Worst in History... TWICE!! LOL

[samsel3]

As a retired Oil & Hazardous Chemicals Material Consultant, I am appalled at the deception spread by the McCain Campaign .

Drill here drill now........McCain is not very well informed or he is in the pocket of BIG OIL.

Big Oil wants access to all US land and off-shore sites.

But facts are facts, and the real facts are that there are 1,995 rigs exploring and drilling for oil & natural gas in the USA right now. These rigs are drilling at both on and off-shore sites.

Of the millions of acres currently leased by BIG Oil, 78 million acres are not being drilled. Of these 33 million acres are off-shore sites and do not need any further Government approval for exploration. Eventually Big Oil will get to these sites.

McCain & his Big Oil cronies do not want you to know the truth. Copy and spread the truth

[whatithink10]

"44.Barack Hussein Obama

------------------------------------------------------
Posted by Rocca777 at 02:59 AM : Oct 17, 2008"



GO OBAMA!!! Real Americans not needing the family name to get in high places!!!!

If Obama can win, we all can aspire to our best self!

What a wonderful inspiration he is to all regular Americans!

[rocca777]

Presidents of the United States:
1.George Washington
2.John Adams
3.Thomas Jefferson
4.James Madison
5.James Monroe
6.John Quincy Adams
7.Andrew Jackson
8.Martin Van Buren
9.William Henry Harrison
10.John Tyler
11.James K. Polk
12.Zachary Taylor
13.Millard Fillmore
14.Franklin Pierce
15.James Buchanan
16.Abraham Lincoln
17.Andrew Johnson
18.Ulysses S. Grant
19.Rutherford B. Hayes
20.James A. Garfield
21.Chester A. Arthur
22.Grover Cleveland
23.Benjamin Harrison
24.Grover Cleveland (again)
25.William McKinley
26.Theodore Roosevelt
27.William Howard Taft
28.Woodrow Wilson
29.Warren G. Harding
30.Calvin Coolidge
31.Herbert Hoover
32.Franklin Delano Roosevelt
33.Harry S. Truman
34.Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower
35.John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy
36.Lyndon Baines Johnson
37.Richard Milhous Nixon
38.Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr.
39.James Earl "Jimmy" Carter Jr.
40.Ronald Wilson Reagan
41.George Herbert Walker Bush
42.William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton
43.George Walker Bush
44.Barack Hussein Obama or John Sidney McCain
Who do you want to be the next President of the United States of America?

[rocca777]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/el
ection2008/2008-10-15-fact-check_N.htm


Voter-registration fraud

The claim: McCain said the Obama campaign has contributed to an organization that is perpetrating "one of the greatest frauds" in American campaign history.

The facts: The organization %uFFFD the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN %uFFFD says it has registered 1.3 million people this year. Obama''''s campaign paid an ACORN affiliate, Citizens Services Inc., $832,000 this year for get-out-the-vote efforts in the Democratic primaries, according to the non-partisan CQ MoneyLine, which tracks campaign spending. Republicans have repeatedly accused the group of submitting fraudulent registrations; Obama said it had hired some people who "just filled out a bunch of names."

[rocca777]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/el
ection2008/2008-10-15-fact-check_N.htm


Bill Ayers

The claim: McCain criticized Obama''''s association with former Chicago radical Bill Ayers, whom McCain called "a guy who in 2001 said he wished he would have bombed more."

The facts: Ayers was a member of the Weather Underground, a radical group that engaged in domestic bombings to protest the Vietnam War. He was in hiding for years after three Weathermen died in 1970 when bombs they were making exploded. Federal charges against him for crossing state lines to incite riots and conspiracy were dropped because of prosecutorial misconduct.

In a New York Times story published by coincidence on Sept. 11, 2001, about his memoirs, Fugitive Days, he said, "I don''''t regret setting bombs %u2026 I feel we didn''''t do enough."

These days, Ayers is a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago who has drawn kind words from the city''''s mayor.

Ayers and Obama have moved in some of the same circles. Ayers was a founder of the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, a school-reform group. Obama chaired its board from 1995 to 1999. In 1995, Ayers hosted a brunch for Obama, who was running for the Illinois Senate. In 1997, they were on a juvenile justice panel sponsored by the University of Chicago. Ayers gave $200 to Obama''''s 2001 state Senate campaign, and the two were on a 2002 panel on intellectualism that was co-sponsored by the Chicago Public Library.

[silthunder7]

HOPE THAT PEOPLE WOULD STOP AND THINK
ABOUT IT FOR A MOMENT. I READ A COMMENT THAT SAID I WISH THEY WOULD KEEP GOD OUT OF GOVERNMENT...WELL MY FRIEND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT A LOT OF AMERICANS HAVE DONE IS KEEP GOD OUT OF GOVERNMENT, WHY DO YOU THINK THINGS ARE SUCH A MESS?
WE TOOK PRAYER OUT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WE
TRY TO TAKE GOD OUT OF EVERYTHING IN OUR LIVES, SOME OF US ONLY THINK ABOUT HIM ON SUNDAYS OR WEDNESDAYS OR WHEN WE ARE DOWN, OR NEED SOMETHING. I SAY WE NEED TO INCLUDE HIM IN ALL OUR CHOICES..
THAT IS WHY YOU HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS, IT''S BECAUSE YOU HAVE SO LITTLE FAITH!!!
YOU WANT TO HEAL AMERICA, THEN AMERICA NEEDS TO GET BACK TO GOD, AND JESUS!!!!
WE NEED TO SUPPORT HIS PEOPLE, CHRISTIANS, AND ISRAEL!!!, YET ONE OF OUR OWN REVERENDS TALKED ABOUT US DEALING WITH THIS ZIONIST REGIME!!!
THAT IS A DIRECT INSULT TO US CHRISTIANS, AND WE HAD BETTER STAND UP FOR GOD''S PEOPLE, AND JOHN MCCAIN IS A PROTESTANT WHO HAS PROFESSED HIS BELIEF IN JESUS, AND HIS BELIEF IN WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THIS COUNTRY...
HE HAS SUFFERED GREATLY FOR THIS COUNTRY, YET YOU LOOSE MOUTH PEOPLE, SOME HYPOCRITES AS PAUL SAYS WANT TO SPIT ON HIM SO TO SPEAK, AND PUT HIM DOWN.
I SAY BEWARE IT WILL COME BACK AROUND...
VOTE MCCAIN/PALIN 2008!!!!!!

[silthunder7]

JUST ONE MORE THOUGHT: GAS PRICES HAVE COME DOWN ALMOST A DOLLAR WHERE I LIVE, SOMEONE MUST BE DOING A LITTLE SOMETHING RIGHT, THEY JUST NEED TO KEEP IT UP!!!!
BY THE WAY ALL YOU HUNTERS, NRA MEMBERS, GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA, ETC. HAD BETTER VOTE FOR JOHN MCCAIN IF WE AS SPORTSMEN AND WOMEN WANT TO KEEP OUR RIGHTS, KEEP OUR WAY OF LIFE, AND KEEP PRICES ON OUR SPORTS FROM GOING SO HIGH IT IS OUT OF OUR REACH, IT''S ALREADY TO HIGH ALREADY.... WAKE UP!!!! SEE THE LIGHT!!!!! JOIN THE FIGHT TO KEEP OUR RIGHTS!!!!!!

SPORTSMEN AND WOMEN FOR JOHN MCCAIN 08!!!!!!!!!!!!

[silthunder7]

HI AMERICA!!!!!!
MY FEELINGS ARE THAT JOHN MCCAIN DID BETTER IN THE DEBATE, JOHN MCCAIN EXPRESSES THE MORE MORAL SIDE OF THIS ELECTION.
JOHN MCCAIN IS THE REAL EXPERIENCED CANDIDATE!!!!!
JOHN MCCAIN STANDS UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT!!!!
JOHN MCCAIN IS ON THE SIDE OF RIGHT VERSUS WRONG!!!!!
THE DEMOCRATS HAVE HAD TWO YEARS TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS AS CONGRESS HAS THE REAL POWER, NOT THE PRESIDENT!!!!
I SAY WAKE UP AND SEE THE LIGHT!!!!
I SAY DON''T BE SO NAIVE AS TO OBAMAS PROMISES....
THE DEMS PROMISED THIS AND THAT BEFORE, BUT GUESS WHAT IT DIDN''T HAPPEN, AND IT WON''T THIS TIME....
YOU WANT REAL CHANGE, THEN YOU CHANGE CONGRESS...
ALL YOU PEOPLE ARE MAD AT THE REPUBLICANS,ETC, OVER SOMETHING THAT REALLY BOTH PARTIES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR, ESPECIALLY THE LEFT!!!!!
YOU GUYS ARE FUNNY THINKING THAT OBAMA IS GOOD FOR THIS COUNTRY...
I WILL WAIT AND SEE AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT I TOLD YOU SO, BUT YOU FOLK ARE SO BLIND THAT YOU WILL BELIEVE ANYTHING....
GO AHEAD AND LET BIG GOVERNMENT RULE AND SEE HOW FAR YOU GET....
SEE HOW MANY OF OUR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS ARE AFFECTED, AND WHEN WE GET ATTACKED AGAIN, SAY WELL I SHOULD HAVE VOTED FOR EXPERIENCE BUT I VOTED FOR THE LOTTERY IINSTEAD, AND LOOK WHERE IT GOT US...
FOLK''S WAKE UP, VOTE FOR MORALITY, VOTE FOR RESPONSIBILITY, VOTE TO SAVE CHILDRENS LIVES, MAKE WOMEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR PREGNANCIES, DON''T GIVE THEM A WAY OUT!!!!
ONE DAY YOU WILL ANWSER TO GOD FOR THIS, AND THEN IT WILL BE TO LATE...
SIMPLY PUT: VOTE JOHN MCCAIN!!!!

[nothappyatall]

Bye McSHAME!!

As far as ACORN goes, thatwas explained well by Barak, but I will add the fact that even if a voter card is false- when the elections dept processes the forms and MAILS OUT the registration cards, those that have bogus or bad addresses will be RETURNED undeliverable, same for those with bogus names- the Post Office will return those because the name doesn''t match the address.
So BFD

[noloyalisti]

Time for ALL the righties to own up to the fact that the conservative ideology has been a complete disaster. And here we have the knuckleheaded McSame still trumpeting failed policy. He still want to privatize, free trade for the rich and have big business run the government. Sounds like fascism to me.

[nancy632]

If my five year old had conducted himself as badly as McCain did last night, I would have given him a firm (but gentle) whoop in the behind. Bend over Mr. McCain, you''re about to get ...

Seriously, though, nothing to do with this election means a hill of beans. YOU DON''T ACTUALLY LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY AND THE ELECTION MEANS NOTHING; this is an exercise in futility. Do you really think the guys who REALLY RUN THE SHOW are going to let "an outsider" come in and start messing around with their occupation of Iraq, their carefully designed economic policies, their foreign policy, etc.? Mark my words - no way.

All is not as it appears. Almost everything that happens to you, from what you watch, to how you spend, to your point of view on many things is by design - just not yours. You have only the illusion of power. I pray Obama makes it to the podium, but believe too many people have spent too much time on too many strategies to allow that to happen. Look beyond what your fed, America.

[grrlboxer]

This is what racism does. It covers up, rationalizes and minimizes
positive qualities in one candidate and emphasizes negative qualities in
another when there is a color difference. We all have prejudices, but shouldn''t we try to rise above morally rather then take the easy way out and give in to our worst characteristics? Maybe some of us have nothing more to define us than our race, so all we can do is cling to our differences and put down others soley on that basis. Maybe that group should start thinking about how else they can define themselves and contribute to society in a more meaningful way so they are not such a burden on everyone else.
Educational Background:

Barack Obama:
Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in
International Relations.
Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna *** Laude

Joseph Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

vs.

John McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899

Sarah Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study University of Idaho -
2 semesters - journalism Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho - 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism

Education isn''t everything, but this is about the two highest offices in