The vice presidential debate between Democratic nominee Tim Walz and Republican nominee JD Vance delivered a close call, according to a CNN instant poll of viewers conducted by SSRS.
While a slight majority of viewers (51%) believed Vance performed better than Walz (49%), the debate resulted in a boost for both candidates’ favorability among those who watched.
The tight race stood in stark contrast to the decisive outcomes of the presidential debates, where viewers heavily favored either Trump or Harris.
Despite Walz’s pre-debate advantage in being seen as more in touch with viewers’ needs and vision, Vance managed to outpace expectations and gain ground in his perceived qualifications for the presidency. He also narrowly won the perception of better defending his running mate.
Despite the split opinions on performance, the debate appeared to be beneficial for both men. Walz’s favorability rating rose significantly, particularly among women, while Vance saw improvements in his favorability among viewers of both genders.
While the debate largely reinforced pre-existing political preferences, with Trump supporters favoring Vance and Harris supporters favoring Walz, there were signs of cross-over. A notable 21% of Trump supporters who watched the debate now have a favorable view of Walz. However, Vance’s favorability rating among Harris supporters remains low at just 8%.
The poll results are based solely on viewers who tuned in and do not represent the overall voting public. The audience was slightly more Democratic-leaning than the national average, suggesting the debate might have had a stronger impact on those already inclined towards Walz.
The survey also found that a significant majority (48% to 35%) believed Walz was more in touch with the needs and problems of everyday people compared to Vance. This sentiment was echoed in the vision for America, with 48% of viewers siding with Walz’s vision over Vance’s (39%).
The poll also highlighted a significant gender gap when it came to shared vision: While male viewers were more evenly split (47% Walz, 43% Vance), female viewers overwhelmingly favored Walz (50% to 36%).
Interestingly, despite the perceived differences, a significant portion of viewers (12%) found both candidates to be in touch with their problems, a level of positivity that stands out in this divisive election cycle.
While Vance narrowly edged out Walz (37% to 33%) in defending his running mate, this advantage was primarily driven by Trump supporters (70%), with Harris supporters leaning towards Walz (57%).
Despite these disparities, the debate had a minimal impact on voters’ minds, with only 1% indicating a change in their voting intentions.
Overall, the debate seems to have solidified Walz’s position as the more relatable and visionary candidate, while Vance’s performance was more divided. This suggests that Walz may have gained an edge in terms of voter perception, but the race for the vice presidency remains close.
