We know what Derrick Anderson and Eugene Vindman had to say during Wednesday night’s congressional debate at the University of Mary Washington, but what did the audience members think?
In an attempt to answer that question, we sent Free Press intern Noelle Clark to lurk outside UMW’s Dodd Auditorium as the debate let out, holding up her phone with a QR code displayed. If attendees scanned it, they’d be taken to a Google form asking five simple questions about the candidates’ performance.
When the rhetorical dust settled, we’d received a grand total of 12 responses, a sample size that works for donuts and eggs, if not reliable political polling.
We’ve aggregated the “data” below.
- In your opinion, who won the debate? (out of 11 respondents, 72.7% said Vindman, 27.3% Anderson)
- What was the most memorable moment from the debate? (of the 12 responses to this question, four concerned abortion or women’s reproductive rights more broadly. The polarized vibes weren’t lost on the audience, either. One respondent wrote: “The Anderson side of the audience chanting “USA! USA!” after his closing statement was very chilling and felt like a summary of the night — no one was there to answer, everyone was their for their team to “win.”)
- Did this debate change who you plan to vote for? (In perhaps the least surprising pie chart of this endeavor, all 12 respondents answered “no.”)
- In your opinion, what was the most important issue in this election? (I’m just going to paste every answer here: Protecting civil liberties; strengthening the economy; The economy; Honesty; Right to choose; Closing the Border; Healthcare, including but not limited to reproductive rights; Women’s reproductive right to choose; Reproductive Rights; Housing Crisis; Women’s rights; Economic growth; The most important issue in this election is the preservation of democracy.)
- Do you plan to vote in this election (or have you already cast your ballot via early voting)? (All 12 respondents answered “yes.” So, that’s good at least).
