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Milwaukee's Best
August 24, 2023 1594 replies
1980-debate-16x9.jpg
Bush, Reagan, Anderson at 1980 GOP debate. Courtesy Reagan Library
Q1. The first presidential debate of the 2024 cycle was held Wednesday night in Milwaukee among eight Republican candidates who had reached certain polling and fundraising thresholds.

In your opinion, who did the best?
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+

Doug Burgum

0%
0%
0%
0%
1%
0%
0%
0%
0%

Chris Christie

5%
4%
7%
2%
5%
8%
5%
3%
6%
8%

Ron DeSantis

7%
9%
5%
16%
4%
0%
0%
8%
8%
10%

Nikki Haley

20%
18%
21%
12%
18%
26%
19%
20%
19%
21%

Asa Hutchinson

0%
0%
0%
0%
1%
0%
0%
0%
1%

Mike Pence

1%
1%
1%
0%
1%
2%
5%
0%
1%
0%

Vivek Ramaswamy

15%
21%
10%
28%
13%
6%
18%
19%
12%
13%

Tim Scott

2%
2%
3%
5%
1%
0%
3%
2%
2%
1%

None did well

10%
8%
13%
6%
15%
13%
8%
10%
11%
12%

Don't know

3%
2%
4%
4%
4%
2%
3%
2%
4%
3%

Didn't watch enough to say

28%
26%
28%
24%
30%
31%
35%
26%
28%
23%

Don't care

7%
8%
7%
3%
8%
10%
3%
10%
8%
7%
Q2. Nikki Haley said of the national debt, which stands at 120% of GDP, up from 55% in 2000:

"No one is telling the American people the truth. The truth is that Biden didn't do this to us, our Republicans did this to us too...No one has told you how to fix it. I'll tell you how to fix it, they need to stop the spending. Donald Trump added $8 trillion to our debt, and our kids are never going to forgive us for this."

What do you think of her comment?
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+
Group A

Agree with all

41%
45%
38%
32%
45%
48%
54%
30%
40%
43%

Most

24%
26%
21%
22%
27%
26%
24%
28%
23%
23%

Some

19%
15%
25%
21%
16%
18%
16%
27%
18%
16%

Not much

9%
9%
9%
16%
8%
4%
2%
8%
11%
13%

None

4%
4%
5%
9%
2%
1%
0%
4%
7%
4%
Group B

Will help her primary chances

28%
32%
26%
33%
32%
25%
44%
20%
24%
34%

Hurt

35%
30%
38%
28%
36%
40%
30%
48%
34%
26%

No impact

31%
32%
31%
36%
27%
28%
22%
27%
37%
35%

Don't know

4%
5%
4%
4%
3%
5%
4%
5%
4%
3%

Don't care

2%
2%
3%
2%
2%
3%
0%
2%
3%
5%
Q3. Former President Trump qualified for the debate but declined to attend. Tucker Carlson released a pre-recorded interview with Trump shortly before the debate started. Your view?
male
female
rep
ind
dem
18-29
30-44
45-64
65+
Group A

Approve of decision not to attend

30%
31%
30%
55%
27%
10%
21%
26%
35%
36%

Disapprove

37%
41%
33%
28%
32%
44%
48%
35%
35%
31%

Neither

28%
25%
33%
15%
38%
39%
27%
36%
27%
28%
Group B

Watched interview, was good

15%
16%
15%
31%
15%
1%
6%
11%
20%
18%

Watched interview, not good

7%
8%
5%
3%
7%
9%
9%
9%
4%
6%

Didn't watch

75%
73%
76%
64%
74%
83%
81%
76%
72%
71%

Don't know

1%
0%
1%
0%
1%
1%
0%
2%
1%

Don't care

8%
7%
8%
2%
8%
12%
6%
7%
7%
11%

In our poll of January 2016, 52% said Trump was wrong to skip a debate, 13% said right. 

Poll Comments (14)