Do debates influence your vote?

Do you determine which candidate to support based on their debate performance, or are the debates not helpful?
Share your thoughts
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I believe debates allow us to see who has an understanding of the issues and which issues are more important than others. Debates should help voters in their decision process. They should'nt be a ruling factor. Overall, debates help me see candidates points of view on issues and how important they are to them and the public. They don't totally influence me, but they help educate me. Voters should educate themselves before voting. Knowledge is power.

Lenny, Providence

Debates are an integral tool voters need to use to become more educated about the person for which they intend to vote, not necessarily the issues. Responses to various questions are often canned ahead of time by a team of staffers, so the debates won't vary much from what the candidate says in other forums. A debate can, though, uncover the true nature of a person by causing them to react with emotion instead of planned and practiced response. i.e. How many Mass voters changed from O'Brien to Romney after the debates exposed Ms. O'Brien to be a sniveling, petty, status quo politician whose only intention is to continue to cater to the unions and special interests for which Mass politics has become famous, or infamous.

john, Uxbridge

I select the candidate I will support based upon a full understanding of their record and their current positions on issues that matter to me. The current debates, with a rather large field, are a poor way of getting this information. However, it does allow me to see the candidate "in action", responding to give and take with the panel and other candidates. This allows me to evaluate their relative temperment, which is also a critical factor.

Kathleen, Colorado Springs, CO

Debates are not all that helpful if you are undecided. They pretty much consist of sound bites and carry very little real information. I would prefer to hear not only what the candidates think the problems are, but also how they plan on solving them. I don't mean "I'll fix medicare...." I want to know how exactly they will fix it, especially if they must contend with a congress controlled by the opposition.

Merry, Dallas, GA