I saw a decisive Edwards victory in Cleveland, but what was the general reaction from everyone else? At this point, the polls appear mixed.
ABC News showed it relatively close: Cheney 43%, Edwards 35%, Tie 19%. But, the sample included more Republicans than Democrats (38%-31%), so that’s to be expected.
Perhaps most importantly, before the debate, the same ABC News poll showed Bush with an overall lead over Kerry, 51%-48%, but after the debate, the gap closed to 50%-49%. Good sign.
CBS News, meanwhile, polled only self-identified uncommitted voters, who believed Edwards beat Cheney — 41% to 28%.
The same poll asked respondents if their opinions of the candidates improved as a result of the debate. For Cheney, 29% said their opinion improved. For Edwards, 58% said their opinion improved. Another good sign of an Edwards victory.