Colorado Votes: Voters React to Debate

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[Photo: CPR News]

Here at CPR, we did something many of you may have done for the Presidential debate that took place at the University of Denver. We had a little debate party and we invited Democrats, Republicans and undecided voters to watch with us. Then, they spoke with Ryan Warner about their impressions.

Buddy Poppitt is an undecided voter, a designer and co-owner of a Denver architecture firm. He wanted to hear the candidates’ views on strengthening the economy.

Poppitt: "Creating jobs, not just minimum wage jobs, but professional jobs, and keeping jobs here in America. I think that’s real important.”

Wy Livingston’s also undecided. She’s an entrepreneur who runs a tea business in Lakewood.

Livingston: “It seems that as everyone else was bailed out, that small business was somehow forgotten. I’m a little miffed by that.”

Nathan Howe’s a Republican from Fort Morgan, a music teacher who divides his time between three different public schools.

Howe: “Whoever’s going to be my president in a few months, I’d like to know what they’re going to do with my job, what’s going to change in education in the next four years.”

John Thompson is a software developer, an unaffiliated voter from Aurora. After he was laid off in 2007, he and his wife lost their health insurance.

Thompson: “The insurance company denied us coverage, by this time they decided that both my wife and I were high risk....”

Cheryl Brungardt, a Democrat from Wheat Ridge, was hoping to hear the candidates talk about something they rarely discuss: poverty. She volunteers for an organization that sends weekend meals home with low-income school kids.

Brungardt: “Some kids only eat their last meal Friday at lunch and they don’t eat again until breakfast that’s provided at school on Monday.”

And finally there’s Scott Helker, an undecided Republican from Golden. He had a lot riding on this debate.

Helker: “Is there anything you might hear tonight, you have expectations from this debate, that will sway you in one candidate’s direction? Yeah! I would love Mitt Romney to move to the center.”

Well, in our discussion after the debate you can learn whether any of these voters changed, or made up their minds, about who to support for President.