Toplines - Debates - September 25, 2008

National Survey of 1,000 Likely Voters
Conducted September 25, 2008
By Rasmussen Reports

1* How likely are you to watch the Presidential debate on Friday night?

68% Very likely

19% Somewhat likely

9% Not very likely

3% Not at all likely

1% Not sure

2* Who is the more skilled debater….John McCain or Barack Obama?

27% John McCain

49% Barack Obama

25% Not sure

3* Regardless of who is the more skilled debater, which candidate is most likely to help his campaign…John McCain or Barack Obama?

34% John McCain

46% Barack Obama

20% Not sure

4* Which is more important in determining who wins a debate – the candidate’s performance or the media’s coverage of the debate?

72% Candidate’s performance
19% Media’s coverage of the event

9% Not sure

5* Should tomorrow night’s debate have been postponed due to the financial crisis?

34% Yes

48% No

18% Not sure

NOTE: Margin of Sampling Error, +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence