With less than three weeks until Election Day, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain debated for the third and final time Wednesday night on the campus of Hofstra University in New York.
The two candidates used the final debate to reach out to voters by speaking about domestic policy, most notably the economy.
With campaigns now winding down and Election Day closing in, the third and final debate may prove important for those voters who receive information and make voting decisions based on listening to debates.
Many Students for McCain members met at the North Carolina Republican Party building on Hillsborough Street to watch the debate, and Jim Ceresnak, a junior in political science, said the debate was crucial because it was one of the last chances for both candidates to reach out to voters.
“This last debate, especially, was important because the first two debates were lacking,” Ceresnak said. “It was important for the issues to be thoroughly discussed and that happened in this debate.”
Michael Clayton, a junior in environmental engineering, said the debate was very important for voters who don’t have time to read about all stances of the candidates.
“People don’t seem to want to read about the candidates as much as they want to hear the candidates speaks,” he said. “Seeing people respond and seeing emotions is really different.”
Derek Gatlin, a senior in sociology and vice president of College Democrats, said he felt Obama did well in the debate by presenting specific facts regarding his policies.
“People could hear a lot of details about policies and this debate allowed Obama to show that he can provide statistics, data and facts for people to get a bearing on reality,” he said.
Students for Obama supporters gathered at Foster’s Bar and Grill to watch the debate and judge how their candidate faired, Gatlin said.
Gatlin said he hoped undecided voters could see the difference in Barack Obama and John McCain.
“I’m hopeful that undecided voters see the difference Obama has when it comes to details over Sen. McCain,” he said.
Ceresnak disagreed and said Sen. McCain’s aggressive style during the debate is what America needs.
“We clearly saw John McCain on the offensive in this debate,” Ceresnak said. “Overall it was a good performance. John McCain proved why he is the right leader for this country.”
Clatyon said the debate is beneficial, but that there are still unanswered questions both campaigns must address.
“There are a lot of questions that still need to be asked and answered by both campaigns,” he said.
