Presidential debate: What does it mean for the Tampa Bay voter?

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The nation watched President Joe Biden and Former President Donald Trump square off in the first debate of this election cycle.

Political analyst Tara Newsom said from a performance standpoint, Trump had the stronger performance. But she said that performance came with lies, so she is calling it a problematic win.

Thursday’s debate came with ground rules.

There was no live audience and the microphones were muted when it was not the candidate’s turn to speak.

Newsom said it played out much differently than it did in 2020.

“This debate was way more civil, way more focused on the issues,” Newsom said. “I think the American people could really see the stance of each of the candidates.”

So what did the debate mean for the Tampa Bay area voter?

“6 out of 10 voters didn’t want to see this matchup and the Trump-Biden debate tonight has really shown that the candidates aren’t really focused on kitchen table issues,” Newsom said. “So we’re hoping, as the campaigns unfold, that we’ll see a little bit more than what we saw at the debate tonight on those kinds of issues.”

Newsom was asked what could be done to pull the undecided voter to one side or the other.

“That 6% that is undecided, I think are really looking at these two candidates on whether they are paying attention to the kinds of issues that matter to our families: inflation, whether there’s an America that looks hopeful and unified, whether abortion rates are going to be more moderated,” Newsom said. “What we saw tonight was more of the campaign rhetoric just delivered in a much more civil way.”

“I think people are going to come away from this still scratching their heads saying I’m not sure either one of these candidates is who I want in the White House,” she said.

Newsom said the undecided voters could “absolutely” decide the election.

“Remember, in Florida the undecided voter is — or the no party affiliate voter, those who are unaligned with the Republican or Democratic party,” she said.

“They are the largest part of the electorate right now,” Newsom said. “Whether or not this debate can move them really can’t be decided until November.”

Newsom said Biden showed a real vulnerability that may make the Democratic Convention look different in August.

She explained this debate may have been a game changer on if Biden remains at the top of the ticket.

So what do voters think in Tampa Bay?

Many walked into Thursday’s debate with their mind already made up.

“Well you’ve got a felon running for president, there’s nothing to hear out,” Nicolette Charleston said. “If people have common sense, why would you vote for a felon?”

Some Trump supporters on the other hand were just hoping the former president would keep his cool.

“Trump is going to hold his own and he’s going to stay nice and mellow and hopefully not go crazy,” Tom Favorito said.

For some Tampa Bay area voters, it all comes down to the issues at hand with the economy, abortion, and immigration taking center stage.

“It is what you stand for that pulls me one way or the other,” Cliff Rhodes said.

While analysts say most people have already made up their mind, it’s undecided voters like Anthony Smith who Thursday’s debate may have swayed.

“That’s a tough one,” Smith said. “I’m an independent.”

“I think they both can do some good, and it’s questionable,” he said.

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