Valley residents plan to watch debate
Most U.S. adults plan to watch some element of tonight’s presidential debate and many think the event will be important for the campaigns of both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, according to a new poll.
Like most Americans, many Mon Valley residents plan to watch the highly-anticipated presidential debate tonight between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
Set to air at 9 p.m. on CNN, the debate will be first time either candidate has been on a debate stage since 2020. The debate will also be simulcast on other networks, including CBS and CBS News 24/7 streaming.
As of Tuesday, The New York Times national polling average said Biden and Trump are tied at 46% and Trump is slightly ahead in key battleground states like Pennsylvania.
Most U.S. adults plan to watch some element of Thursday’s presidential debate and many think the event will be important for the campaigns of both Biden and Trump, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
According to the AP poll, about 6 in 10 U.S. adults say they are “extremely” or “very” likely to watch the debate live or in clips, or read about or listen to commentary about the performance of the candidates in the news or social media.
The poll suggests tens of millions of Americans are likely to see or hear about at least part of Thursday’s debate despite how unusually early it comes in the campaign season.
Nancy Sinko of Monongahela said she is planning on watching the debate, and hopes there will be talks on the economy and inflation issues.
“I’m gonna watch it. I have to watch it,” Sinko said. “It’s going to be funny, and I need a laugh. I am hoping to hear their ideas, but I think I gotta hear them out. I just don’t know what to expect, but I don’t expect much.”
Jay Ramsey of Monongahela also said he is going to watch the debate, and hopes the debate will focus on the specific needs of the American people, including homelessness and inflation.
“I voted in every election and this might be the only one I might miss,” Ramsey said. “This is terrible. I have never seen anything so bad.”
Ramsey added that he noticed walking on Wood Street in Pittsburgh that there were so many homeless people in the city, let alone the country, and he said that was something that needed to be talked about.
“There were four different places where there were guys laying on the sidewalk with a blanket over them,” Ramsey said. “They were so skinny, and I’m thinking about it, we’re worried about everyone else except the people in this country.”
Robert Altobelli of Charleroi, who is also watching the debate, said the government should guarantee every head of a household a job.
“I never had a view until now. I am going to vote for who I think, but our values are gone. This country is ‘Me, me, me. I come first.’” The poll states that both men remain broadly unpopular as they prepare to face off for the first time since 2020. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, maintains a modest enthusiasm advantage with his base compared to Biden, the Democratic incumbent and both candidate’s supporters view the debate as a “major test” or a “spectacle” for each candidate.
About half, 47%, of Americans say the debate is “extremely” or “very” important for the success of Biden’s campaign and about 4 in 10 say it’s highly important for Trump’s campaign. About 3 in 10 Americans say it is at least “very” important for both campaigns.
Most Democrats, 55%, think the upcoming debate is extremely or very important for the success of the Biden campaign. Fifty-one percent of Republicans say the same for Trump’s campaign.
According to the AP poll, voters are still unhappy about their options, with Biden and Trump each entering the debate with low favorability ratings – with about 6 in 10 U.S. adults say they have a very or somewhat unfavorable view of Biden, and a similar number have a negative view of Trump.
Most Americans, 56%, say they are “very” or “somewhat” dissatisfied with Biden being the Democratic Party’s likely nominee for president, and a similar majority are dissatisfied with Trump as the likely GOP nominee, the poll said.
About 3 in 10 U.S. adults are dissatisfied with both Trump and Biden as their party’s likely nominees – with independents and Democrats being more likely than Republicans to be dissatisfied with both.
Republicans and Democrats are more likely to have a negative view of the opposing party’s candidate than they are to have a positive view of their own.
Monongahela resident Linda Pankiewicz doesn’t have television and isn’t watching the debate. She said this election is like “deja vu” and hopes the debate will focus on the economy and the environment.
“We are doing OK, but we need to do better. I don’t know how a convicted felon can run for president. I just want to know that. I mean, I am not super happy with Biden because I think he’s too old, but you have a convicted felon, a habitual liar, sex offender and so many people are still for him. I just cringe.”
Pankiewicz said she enjoys Pa. Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is for the people and energized, so a candidate like that would be better. She also hopes the topic of abortion will be discussed, with Roe V. Wade being overturned.
“I don’t know how women can support (Trump). This bit about taking away the right to abortion, that is between you, your partner and your God. Government should not have a say in that. Who makes this decision? Old white men.”
Some Mon Valley residents, who declined to state their names, said the debate is between “dumb and dumber” who have no clue about the American people, there is nothing to watch and there will be more to talk about once the debate is over.
“I am going to pick the best of two evils,” Altobelli said. “The rich people get richer and the poor people get poorer. Both sides are crooked. You vote, the people decide. What my personal opinion is doesn’t matter. It’s what everyone thinks. I don’t think it’s going to be fair. I don’t know what the format is, but each debater should have the same question. I might get mad and turn it off.”
“I am going to pick the best of two evils. The rich people get richer and the poor people get poorer. Both sides are crooked.”
ROBERT ALTOBELLI
CHARLEROI RESIDENT
