React Labs: Educate

Summary Results for Third 2012 Presidential Debate:

Foreign Policy

October 22, 2012

2,269 people reacted at least once53% were Democrats

32% were Republicans

15% independent/other

Before the debate:

58% planned to vote for Obama

31% planned to vote for Romney

8% were undecided3% planned to vote for someone else

53% male and 47% female

65% white; 12% Hispanic; 9% Asian; 9% African American; 5% other

Obama/Romney Comparisons

As with the earlier debates, Obama received mostly agree clicks, while Romney received a more even ratio of agree and disagree clicks.

Obama was heavily favored as the debate winner. When asked who won the debate, 64% of respondents said Obama, 25% said Romney, and 11% said they tied.

Thus, excluding respondents who thought the debate was a draw, 72% of respondents thought Obama won versus 28% for Romney.

Key Romney MomentsRomney’s response to whether he would have continued to support Mubarak received polarized reactions. It received more “agree” clicks but also more “spin” clicks than any of Obama’s statements in this debate. Moreover, Romney received more “agree” clicks during this 3-minute segment than he received during any other 3-minute segment in any of the three debates.

Romney received the most “dodge” clicks of the night when he responded to the moderator’s question about Israel one day wanting to bomb Iran with: “Let’s not go into hypotheticals of that nature.”

Key Obama Moments

Obama’s received his third-strongest “agree” spike of the night when he said: “Well, Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets…”

Obama received the most “spin” clicks during his discussion that began “If we’re going to talk about trips that we’ve taken” and included mention of his trip to the Holocaust museum in Yad Vashem.

8% of post-debate respondents changed their expected vote choice from their pre-debate preference

64% moved toward Obama• E.g., from Romney to

undecided or from undecided to Obama

The other 36% moved toward Romney• E.g., from Obama to

undecided or from undecided to Romney

Among the switchers:

“…We also have fewer horses and bayonets…”

Perceived debate winner (by state)

Grey = no responses