CBS Poll: Voters Unsure Of Kaine, Pence Ahead Of Vice Presidential Debate
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Voters remain largely undecided on Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump running mates Tim Kaine and Mike Pence, as they prepare to show down for the first and only vice presidential debate Tuesday night.
According to a new CBS News poll, 67 percent of registered voters said they are undecided or don't know enough about Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine. Fifty-seven percent of voters expressed the same sentiments about Republican running mate Mike Pence.
Among decided voters, Pence has a slight lead over Kaine, with 24 percent of voters giving a favorable outlook for the vice presidential hopeful. Kaine garnered only 19 percent of the favorable vote.
When asked if voters believed either vice presidential candidate could run the country effectively if they needed to step in as president, voter outlook looked bleak on both sides of the aisle. Only 37 percent of people believe Kaine could do the job, while 41 percent of voters believed Pence could step up to the plate.
Around a third of voters, however, remained unsure of the candidates' capabilities on this front as well -- 39 percent said they didn't know if Kaine could do the job, with 33 percent saying the same about Pence.
According to the poll, these numbers are strikingly different from the 2008 campaign, where 65 percent of voters said they believed then Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden could step in a president, compared to then Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin's 35 percent.
The vice presidential candidates' impact on this election is also significantly lower than it has been in elections prior. According to the poll, only 14 percent of registered voters said the candidates will make a impact on their vote, compared to 32 percent recorded in the 2008 election.
When it comes to the presidential candidates, Clinton edges Trump by four points (45 percent to 41 percent) ahead of Tuesday's vice presidential debate.
The 90-minute debate between Kaine and Pence will take place at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia. According to the poll, 47 percent of voters said they were likely to watch Tuesday's debate.
Clinton and Trump will face off for their second presidential debate in St. Louis on Sunday.
You can catch tonight's debate streaming live on CBSNewYork.com and on our CBSNewYork Facebook page starting at 9 p.m.
