Undecided Georgia voters edge toward decision

The format of Tuesday night’s presidential debate, more so than the content, stood out most to a panel of undecided Georgia voters.

What was supposed to be a town-hall event geared toward undecided voters often devolved into a typical head-to-head debate, said a group following the campaign for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The disregard for the debate rules was almost enough to drive Carole Scarborough to choose a write-in candidate.

Scarborough, 69, of Manchester, said she’s beginning to lean away from Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, “but will watch the last debate in the hope of hearing something that speaks to my condition.”

Conversely, Mandy Lewis, 30, of Lawrenceville, and Terrance Smith, 45, of Ellenwood, are close to making different decisions after Tuesday.

Here’s what our panel thought following the second of three presidential debates.

Seth Rhine

Age: 32

Lives in: Monroe

Occupation: Teacher of Advanced Placement Economics and baseball coach in Gwinnett County.

“Overall, Barack seemed much more comfortable in this format than I expected. McCain apparently has lots of friends in this group (he keeps calling them my friends).

“I thought both candidates did fine with very little new stuff coming out. I think McCain is really going to have a tough time winning the election or any debate with Barack. I think Barack is in a different league as it pertains to debates and public settings.

Mandy Lewis

Age: 30

Lives in: Lawrenceville

Occupation: Technical support supervisor for Neurostar Solutions

“Obama stole the show for me tonight! He came across as very presidential, well thought-out, and prepared. Not just for the debate but prepared for our country! I was annoyed with McCain’s condescending tone of voice when it come to foreign policy … I don’t doubt his experience, that’s for sure, but sometimes you have to get out of the box and try something new!

“And for the record … still undecided … excited about Obama tonight, but all it will take is a few minutes of Palin and I am back on the fence.”

Nikki Shirah

Age: 51

Lives in: Covington

Occupation: School bus driver

“I am leaning toward Obama and I think he has it sewn up. … I don’t think people are willing to vote for four more years under the Republicans. Obama sounded very knowledgeable and did not stoop to McCain’s attacks on him. I think McCain came off condescending. He seemed to say Obama is not experienced enough and kept harping back to the fact that he is older and presumably wiser.”

Ef Rios

Age: 38

Lives in: Atlanta

Occupation: Technology

“As a math guy, I need to assign some kind of scoring system to know where I stand. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give McCain an 8 for his experience and clear details on several of his plans. He gets low marks on his unreal descriptions of Iraq and unchecked deregulatory ideas.

“Biden’s understanding and serious approach to current issues earns him a 6. I give Obama a low 5 due to his grandiose and vague plans. He gets high marks for his vision, calm demeanor and balanced reasoning. Palin gets a measly 2 since I have not heard a single thing that even remotely resemblances a serious plan of action. If I were only voting for a President, McCain would have my vote. Since I am voting for a team, I think Palin was a weak choice for McCain and maybe the Obama-Biden ticket is a more balanced option.”

Terrance Smith

Age: 45

Lives in: Ellenwood

Occupation: Law enforcement

“I saw a debate between a negotiator (Obama) and a warrior (McCain). Who would you choose? I say it depends on the situation that is being faced. Lets face it, Americans became great by being the biggest, and toughest kid on the world block. We are obviously headed for turbulent times; our once insurmountable economy is now weak and fragile, possibly on the verge of collapse, our invincible military has exposed kinks and our leadership ability with the brightest minds are being dulled. Times are tough and are not getting any better in a quick manner.

“I look at McCain as wanting to bring political bipartisanship into play, something I would embrace. I am 90 percent sure I will be casting a McCain vote in the advance voting week.”

Carole Scarborough

Age: 69

Lives in: Manchester

Occupation: Semi retired; works part time for an organization that cares for disabled persons.

“Both candidates handled the questions comparatively well. Both were guilty once or twice of giving answers that were non-responsive to the question posed. Both demonstrated that they did not respect the agreed-upon rules: they ignored signals that their allotted time was up, and spoke out of turn because ‘what they had to say was important.’ Sen. Obama seemed particularly prone to this. Although many people, I’m sure, think of this as a minor transgression, I believe that one’s essence is revealed in small ways. The way one keeps one’s word, and observes the social contract speaks volumes to me. Neither candidate shone in this area — too much ego apparent.”

“After this debate, I am leaning more to a write-in vote, but will watch the last debate in the hope of hearing something that speaks to my condition.”