Did The First Presidential Debate Change Any Minds?

CHICAGO (CBS) -- It was the biggest presidential debate audience ever, with more than 80 million viewers in all.

But did the Clinton-Trump debate change any minds? CBS 2 Political Reporter Derrick Blakley went to Elmhurst to find out.

West suburban Elmhurst is usually seen as reliably Republican.

But with Donald Trump the GOP nominee, reliability is out the window.

"You can't be a dictator, you can't yell and you have to keep your emotions in check. AndIi'm a little concerned that he's used to running a business and not a country that's full of diversity," Mary Beth Iveljic, a Republican voter, said.

She was a Trump supporter, until last night.

"So I'm starting to look a little closer what what Hillary Clinton has to say. My mind isn't made up but I'm trying to educate myself now more on her views," she added.

That's bad news for Trump, who, according to a recent Washington Post poll,
already trails Clinton among white women with college degrees, 52 to 34 percent.

"It does frighten me with Donald Trump that he's gotten that far," said Republican voter Paula Anderson.

Most debates, we're told, don't change voters' opinions, as with lunch buddies Michelle and Lisa.

"I liked hearing real plans for real people in the middle-class," Michelle, a Clinton supporter said. "That's what I believe in."

"I think we need someone in leadership who knows how to run a business because the government has just taken over too much," Trump supporter Lisa Woodward said.

But still, this Hillary-hater isn't quite ready to back Trump...yet.

"Her travel log, as she said last night, means nothing if you don't get anything accomplished. But then on the other side you have the wild card of Donald Trump. So its a hard decision," Mindy Hosler, who's undecided, said.

Four years ago, Mitt Romney won the votes of white men and women with college degrees, but Clinton leads both groups now. That makes Trump's No. 1 job during the debates to get traditional GOP supporters back, also, college-educated women will be a key vote going forward.

 

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.