CNN Debate Audience Reaction Meter

Watching Approval Ratings In Real Time During Presidential Debates

Sep 26, 2008 Kent Ninomiya

Focus groups of Republicans, Democrats and Independents used dials to express their feelings as Obama and McCain debated. Is this immediate feedback useful or frivolous?

Cable News Network uses these focus groups to provide immediate feedback. The idea is to show how people of different political beliefs feel about specific candidates and issues. In the presidential debate there were three lines on an Audience Reaction chart that ran across the bottom of the TV screen like a political seismograph. The red line represented Republicans, the blue line represented Democrats and the green line represented Independent voters. In the vice presidential debate they used uncommitted voters from the battleground state of Ohio.

Debate Audience Reaction Meter

Through much of the debate, the three lines moved in unison and barely wavered. There seem to be issues that are not politically divisive. When the candidates spoke about the economic bailout legislation the lines yawned with apathy. When the candidates mentioned limiting CEO compensation, all three lines shot up. It seems that most Americans want that.

Watching Approval Ratings

The different colored lines jumped in different directions on certain explosive issues. The blue Democratic line shot up when Barack Obama spoke about alternative sources of energy, the failed hunt for Osama bin Laden and when he pointed out that John McCain voted with President George W. Bush 90% of the time. Predictably, the red Republican line was very low at this time. Independents tended to rise like the Democrats but not as high.

Real Time Reaction Meter

The Republican red line jumped way up when John McCain spoke about his experience during the Vietnam War. It was similarly high when McCain talked about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also got a little bump when he mentioned his running mate Sarah Palin. While all these things were happening the Democratic and Independent lines were very low.

Presidential Debate Focus Groups

The lines quickly crossed and changed places when Barack Obama criticized the war effort. This would seem to be definitive proof that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are the most polarizing issues in this campaign. Republicans and Democrats are both passionate about their views on American military action. Independent voters filled the middle.

Obama McCain Audience Reaction

Approval ratings for both candidates dropped when they bickered or made negative attacks. It seems that people of all political beliefs are put off by hearing candidates for President of the United States quarreling.

Debate Feedback

CNN doesn't bother to tell viewers what the bouncing lines mean. Viewers are understandably confused. The audience reaction meter is not scientific proof of anything. Voters don't make decisions based on how they feel at every second. They decide based on an overall impression. However, the audience reaction meter shows very interesting contrasts between gut reactions of people of different political beliefs. It may not reveal how people will vote but it does show the issues on which they will base their decisions.

The copyright of the article CNN Debate Audience Reaction Meter in American Affairs is owned by Kent Ninomiya. Permission to republish CNN Debate Audience Reaction Meter in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Ole Miss, Site of the Debate

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Oct 2, 2008 6:39 PM

Guest :

Wouldn't it be fun if we all could do online, realtime feedback, during the debates? Most of us say "I've never been called". I know statistically it is very different but may be such a large number as to dwarf the others. It would certainly be fun.

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