An instant poll conducted by SSRS revealed that registered voters who watched the recent debate between vice presidential nominees Tim Walz and JD Vance were split on which candidate performed better. The debate left viewers with more positive views of both candidates, indicating a successful engagement.
Despite Walz being generally perceived more positively and in touch with voters' needs and vision for the country, Vance managed to improve his standing among the debate audience. He exceeded expectations and gained ground on being perceived as qualified, even outperforming Walz in defending his running mate.
The poll indicated that a majority of debate watchers considered both candidates qualified to assume the vice presidency if necessary. Interestingly, very few viewers felt compelled to change their voting preferences based on the debate.
Following the debate, 51% of viewers believed Vance did a better job, while 49% favored Walz. This outcome was contrary to pre-debate expectations, where Walz was anticipated to perform more strongly.
Comparing this debate to previous top-of-the-ticket debates, the audience's reactions were more evenly split. In contrast, previous debates showed more decisive opinions among viewers regarding the candidates' performances.
