November 29th, 2007
10:41 AM ET
11 years ago
Debate Reaction: Undecided Republican voters weigh in
Watch a panel respond to Thompson's answer on abortion.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - As the debate banter went back and forth between Republican presidential contenders in Wednesday night’s CNN/YouTube debate, 24 undecided Republican voters had a unique opportunity to express their views on the candidates in real time. In each of these video clips, a line graph displays the voters’ reaction. The yellow line represents the 12 women in the group and the blue represents the 12 men.
Watch the reactions:
Romney and Giuliani on immigration
- CNN's Martina Stewart and Emily Sherman
CNN debates=old political ads. Killing candidates campaigns.
You heard it. Over turning Roe vs. Wade is more important than:
Our soldiers dying in Iraq.
National Security.
The Economy.
Health care.
Taxes.
Immigration.
OUR SOLDIERS DYING IN IRAQ!!! get the idea?
Republicans are pathetic!
It was very interesting to watch the graphs during Huckabee's talks about religion.., escpecially considering that most of these 24 people were probably liberal plants too.
Is CNN an independent news organization? Based on the information now being revealed regarding the persons asking questions at the debate this is in doubt. It appears that CNN is an arm of the Democratic party. In my opinion this is national disgrace and someone needs to be fired or severly reprimanded to allow this to happen. You guys really need to look at why your ratings are suffering.
See, I don't think CNN is credible anymore. Those "undecided" voters with Erica Hill sure didn't seem like undecided Republicans. One didn't even know the candidates running but went on national/international TV to let us know that sad fact!
After the Wolf/planted question/Las Vegas debacle; then the "Republican" gay "general" who lied, now this – CNN has a serious credibility issue.
Could you possibly be more blatantly biased against Ron Paul? Or more pro Romney/Guiliani?
Steve, you are so right!! sometimes it scares me what the republicans focus on. i thought they were for small government? then why do they want to control every single thing?
CNN should be ashamed of itself for effectively censoring Ron Paul. Not a question posed to him until half hour into the debate?!!!! Only 3 minutes of speaking time in 2 hours of debate?!!!!
CNN guys: You just do not get it, do you?? No wonder you and the rest of the "news" networks are fast becoming irrelevant, no matter how you try to pass yourselves off as relevant.
I hope you have the decency to not censor this comment, but will not be surprised if you do.
I don't see how anyone could possibly make a decision about a candidate after the shenanigans that went on with the Democrat plants that CNN allowed to take the floor to ask questions.
It was obvious that the questions were posed to present Republicans n a bad light, and to display leftist ideas about Republicans and conservatives in general.
If CNN thought this was constructive, they are incorrect.
I understand that Stewart and Sherman asked if any mind's were made up by this debate, but here's a better question:
Will Anderson Cooper try to salvage whatever is left of his credibility and dignity, especially after his opening monologue to the audience about what not to expect at this debate, by telling CNN to take a hike?
Most of America already has.
Mitt Romney, while I do not agree with everything he believes, showed strength in the debate. He appears to be the most presidental. I was surprised by his ability to take on Giuliani. This race should be aganist Huckabee and Romney. Thompson disappointed me yet again. I like Mccains passion, but he would make a better advisor/Vice President.
I came into this debate a Rudy supporter and left it a Mitt Romney supporter. Rudy hurt himself with many of his unsteady answers whereas Romney responded well to attacks I didn't expect him to be able to answer.
The exchanges between McCain and Paul made them seem like out of touch old men, even though Paul was the crazier one.
And of course, Huckabee was likable, but I don't feel the substance is there, and he avoided answering the tough questions on immigration, taxes, and national security that rule him out for me.
How can CNN be so transparent in its bias. The undecided "Republicans" were a plant by CNN that were either Democrats (as one lady admitted) or the left leaning CNN organization. In spite of it all the Republican candidates did great.
Soldiers,like me,had a choice to join the military and die for our country. Unborn babies didn't ask to be murdered. So who's pathetic?
CNN should be embarrassed. This was the most biased debate I have ever seen.
Blitzer give Hillary and the boys a "bye" on every single tough issue out there – and then CNN packs this debate with Left wing plants in the audience.
Watching Cooper is a joke. He jumps all over folks in this debate – as we witnessed and gives left issues full time follow up.
The CNN bias is amazing.
I suggest that the next time CNN wants Republicans should occur when Democrats show up on Fox.
God help us if Giuliani gets the nomination. I totally believe the New York City comptroller's comments about Giuliani deliberately spreading $34,000 worth of his own "travel(to the Hamptons) and security" costs over various city departments to hide these expenses from notice.
Can you imagine what he'd do if let loose in the White House?
AMERICA NEEDS JOHN MCCAIN !!!
After last night, I just view them all as, what they are POLITICIANS!!!! Vote for None of The Above..
I was dumbfounded that CNN asked the candidates multiple questions on gay rights and not a single question on global warming, energy policy, or healthcare reform. You are in the business of informing and educating us – aren't you?
This Republican has decided to support Ron Paul.
when will CNN add to the ticker the fact that the gay General was a plant who works for hillarys election campaign? i've heard some bogus story that he lied about his affiliations and CNN said you get to be front and center.
A moment of great concern to all Americans occurred when an ordinary American–an all too typical American–
–held up a Bible and said (I write from memory, but this was his meaning): "I'm going to ask you a question whose answer will tell us all we need to know about every one of you: do you believe that every single word of this book is true?"
And Giuliani answered like a sensible Catholic. And Romney answered like a Mormon scared to admit to the Book of Mormon. And Huckabee answered like a good Baptist minister, a good pastoral answer balancing faith and reasoned understanding. . . .
And I looked up and realized that the Constitution had vanished. Because no one–not one candidate, not Anderson Cooper the moderator, not a single person in that packed and often raucous audience–spoke the only possible Constitutionally permissible answer:
Article.VI. . . . no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
No religious test. None. Yet what we saw tonight was a religious test. A crystal-clear, absolutely open and direct violation of Article VI of the Constitution.
And no one in that roomful of politicians and political experts and politically committed Americans had the courage to say so, or perhaps even the knowledge to recognize it for what it was.
In that silence, we had to know: the Constitution has died, and we are so ensorcelled by those who killed it that we cannot even see that it is gone.
I was dumbfounded that CNN asked the candidates multiple questions on gay rights and not a single question on global warming, energy policy, or healthcare reform. You are in the business of informing and educating us – aren't you?
Probably because most Republicans feel global warming is a fraud (which is still possibly true, they tried the global cooling scare only 20 years ago). They feel the energy industry is only restrained by environmentalism and regulation. And finally, most Republicans think healthcare isn't broken but social security is.
The only answer most Republicans want to hear on these issues.
Global warming: "Ha, like that's real"
Energy: "Privitize industry, less regulation, open drilling on coast like every other country."
Healthcare: "Tax breaks to help the poor, otherwise get a job."
I thought of all the candidates Huckabee came off very well. After watching the last CNN debate with the dems I was amazed how slanted the question to the GOP were. Every question had more to do with the differences between left and right instead of offering a difference among the conservative candidate. Seemed more like questions that should be asked during the general election debates.
I think Huckabee would be great in a debate against any of the dems!
I am an independent and this is the first time I watched a Republican debate all the way through. I normally get disgusted by all of the hate that comes from Republicans and how they always bring any issue back to how horrible the Democrats are. They have no new ideas about how to improve the standing of our country around the world. They still would prefer to spend billions of dollars overseas in their various endeavors rather than help internally in America.
I must admit that none of them encouraged me at all. I did not see one person who was positive or forward looking. Mainly, I took from the debate, except for Ron Paul, that Republicans want to stay in Iraq forever; that Jesus would agree that capital punishment is a good thing; that waterboarding, except for John McCain, is an acceptable method to punish prisioners; that it is alright for a minister to speak badly about others; that none of them have real plans to lower the deficit; and if you can get away with it you can use taxpayer monies to visit your mistress.
Very disappointing for me.
We are at war and only McCain has the conviction and courage to lead us to victory. The Dems have already surrendered to the terrorists and the others seem half hearted.
Please, complain about the questions? These idiots are used to being kissed up to over at FOX and could not debate real issues to save their lives. Ron Paul is the only one that stands up and says his mind. Romney is trying to please everyone, Giuliani is a crook, McCann now stands against torture when he backed giving Bush the right to torture and waterboard. Again Ron Paul is the only one that will stand up for the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the ideals of the United States as expressed in The Declaration of Independence. The rest only stand up for the ideals of big business, oil companies, fear, and greed.