‘No debate could change my mind’: Voters unmoved, others reconsidering after presidential debate

MARIETTA, Ga. — Lunchtime at the Marietta Diner usually attracts a diverse crowd in Cobb County, which itself has become more racially and ethnically diverse in recent years.

Mike Williams, a 60-year-old African American, watched all of Tuesday night’s presidential debate. It didn’t change his mind.

“No, it kind of solidified me in who I was voting for,” he said.

He plans to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris, but that wasn’t always a sure thing – and he even considered not voting at all.

“Just because I didn’t like the choices,” he said.

He wanted to hear more from Harris about policy and positions on issues.

“I’m still waiting for her to say more detail, especially on things she changed her mind about,” Williams said.

Former President Donald Trump and Harris especially needed to convince undecided voters.

Natalie Ismirlidis, a 19-year-old first-time voter, said she had been considering Trump.

“And then the debate last night, it just opened up my eyes. Kamala gave very good information,” she said. “So that kind of brought my attention towards her. Now I’m thinking which one should I go for?”

Her friend, 19-year-old Sophia Faulkner – also a first-time voter – said she, too, had been eyeing Trump, mainly because of her concerns about the economy and inflation.

But she said his rhetoric about immigrants was offensive.

“Certain things that Trump stands for, I just can’t do it. Like, he wants immigrants out. I come from an immigrant family. Why would I want that?” she said.

Cobb County had long been a majority-white county that voted mostly Republican. But in 2020, President Joe Biden won the suburban county by 14 percentage points.

Mary Morton, 63, said she didn’t always like the demeanor and language of Trump in the debate, but that didn’t matter.

“It didn’t change my mind at all, because as a Trump supporter, I already knew his policies and the way he thought and what he was gonna do,” she said. “My family is better financially under his policies.”

Jeff Starling, 56, said he didn’t need to watch the debate – he’s voting for Trump regardless.

“I like his policies, I like his leadership, I kind of like his personality. But I liked his results,” Starling said. “No debate could change my mind.”

For Patricia Chicoine, 78, the debate convinced her that she was making the right decision in voting for Harris.

“He was the angry man, and she was the lady with the plan,” she said. “I don’t think strong, screaming men intimidate her.”

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