Schieffer: Debate Didn't Sway Many Voters
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- CBS News contributor Bob Schieffer doesn't believe Monday night's presidential debate swayed many voters across the nation.
"I've never seen one where the decorum broke down the way that it did tonight. You almost never see audience responses like we saw tonight. We were expecting a different kind of debate and I think in that way that we saw one. I don't think Donald Trump lost any votes tonight, I'm not sure Hillary Clinton gained any votes tonight," the former "Face the Nation" moderator said on CBS News after the debate.
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He continued, "What we saw was an example of how deep a divide is now between Democrats and Republicans. I didn't learn very much new tonight. I thought they started off pretty well, it was fairly businesslike, and then about 15 minutes in it broke down into name-calling, and it was back-and-forth and who can shout the loudest."
Schieffer added that each nominee only talked to their supporters during the debate and didn't try to reach across the aisle.
"She was preaching to her choir over here, he was preaching to his choir over here, we never saw any indication of how you can come together and form the coalitions to break the gridlock that this country finds itself in," Schieffer said.
CBS2's Tony Aiello was at Hofstra's student center for the debate, as many are voting for president for the first time. Students were split on how well Trump and Clinton did.
"I think he's doing well. I think he says a lot of things that people think in their head sometimes, but are too afraid to say out loud. I think he's funny," Lauren De Pinter said.
"She's pretty calm, cool, collected. I don't think she's too fazed by this. I think that she has it in the bag already, to be honest," Priya Patel said.
Student Madeline Currie said she is a frustrated registered voter.
"It's kind of a hard election to vote in for the first time because it's so crazy," Currie said.
There was a strong reaction at the debate watch party when Trump commented on the state of black communities.
"I just feel as though he's generalizing all African-American and Latino communities as if we all suffer from the same thing," Currie said.
Monday was the first of three presidential debates.
