Expert On Final Presidential Debate: 'There's Not a Lot Of Votes To Be Gained, But There's A Whole Lot To Be Lost'
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - After fireworks in the first debate between President Donald Trump and rival Democratic candidate, former Vice President Joe Biden, voters will get to watch the final presidential debate on Thursday night after many have already made up their minds.
"I'm only going to watch to see if Biden can stay alert for an hour and a half," said voter Rich Kauffmann. "I scream at the television," said Wendy. She did not want to give her last name. "I see what an idiot we have in charge," she said.
Charles Zelden is a professor of history and politics at Nova Southeastern University.
"There's not a lot of votes to be gained but there's a whole lot of votes to be lost," Zelden said.
He said while most voters have already chosen their candidate, the stakes are high. "The real impact here will shape the media narrative for the next week. Did Trump do better than he did in the first debate, did Biden have a gaff?" Zelden said.
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Sean Foreman is a professor of Political Science at Barry University. "These are real issues. People want to see these candidates under the hot lights," Foreman siad.
He said undecided voters will watch Trump carefully.
"Donald Trump needs to reign in his anger. He needs to show that he can be presidential, as cliche as that sounds, he needs to show that he is still in command as president t and not unhinged as some people think," Foreman said.
Zelden said Biden will Face scrutiny too.
"Biden needs to be mistake-free. Biden's biggest danger is that Biden is Biden that there's a gaff. He stumbles over his words and in the process he says things that don't come out the way he meant them to be."
Experts figure very few minds will be changed by the debate, but it could motivate supporters who have not voted yet.
"If this debate turns into another nasty shouting match it may turn off some people from voting," Foreman said.
"Both sides need to be thinking, 'don't make a mistake.' Because if you make a mistake that can have a big impact on the outcome of the election," Zelden said.
You can watch the election tonight at 9 p.m. on CBS 4.
