Springs voters come away with different takes
The second presidential debate moved the campaign chess pieces forward, backward and not at all for a few previously undecided Colorado Springs voters Tuesday night.
The Gazette has kept in touch with several residents since the first debate who weren’t committed to President Barack Obama or Republican challenger Mitt Romney.
Tuesday’s debate had differing effects.
“When they stand toe to toe and say, ‘that’s not true, that’s not true,’ then there’s no way for us to know what’s true,” said David Schneider, 77, an independent voter.
“When they toss around trillions and accuse each other of spending trillions on this and trillions on that, and the other says, no they didn’t, it just sounds like a shouting match.”
Longtime Republican Jean Swartzendruber, 86, said the debate didn’t make up her mind for Romney or Obama. She said both candidates made good points, but they each also had plenty of weaknesses.
Romney’s economic plan is “too simplistic,” and Obama hasn’t accomplished much, she said.
“I thought it was pretty equal,” she said.
But others were leaning hard one way or another.
“The president was presidential tonight,” said independent voter Eric Phillips, 48, who works for the Department of Veterans Affairs. “He had Romney doing some backpedaling tonight.”
Phillips said he still wants to do some fact-checking before making up his mind on who will get his vote.
Phillips said he thinks the president won the debate.
It was the exact opposite for Zoe Wood.
Wood, an Army veteran, said she has made up her mind to vote for Romney and that Tuesday night was the icing on the cake.
Schneider said that despite his unhappiness with the debate style, he’s almost completely in Romney’s camp, partially because of Romney’s experience as the former Massachusetts governor.
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney passes President Barack Obama during the second presidential debate at Hofstra University, Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012, in Hempstead, N.Y. (AP Photo/David Goldman) Photo by
Longtime Republican Jean Swartzendruber, 86, said the debate didn’t make up her mind for Romney or Obama. She said both candidates made good points, but they each also had plenty of weaknesses. Photo by
David Schneider said that despite his unhappiness with the debate style, he’s almost completely in Gov. Mitt Romney’s camp, partially because of Romney’s experience as the former Massachusetts governor. Photo by