Tim Kaine? Mike Pence? Who are these guys? America’s not sure.
A new CBS News poll released on the eve of Tuesday’s vice presidential debate in Farmville, Va. found two of three voters are undecided or don’t know enough about Kaine and 57 percent feel the same way about Pence. The poll was conducted Sept. 28 to Oct. 2.
And while pluralities see them as having the ability to be an effective president, big blocs of voters are unsure. Thirty-nine percent don’t know about whether Kaine, the Democratic nominee, is ready, while one-third feel that way about Pence, the Republican nominee.
Thirty-seven percent say Kaine has the ability to be an effective president, while 24 percent he does not. Pence is mentioned favorably that way by 41 percent, while 25 percent said he doesn’t have that ability.
So it follows that 84 percent of voters say they’re vote selection will depend mostly on the presidential candidates. Still, Kaine and Pence should draw a big audience, as 72 percent says it’s likely they’ll watch starting at 9 EDT tonight.
David Lightman: 202-383-6101, @lightmandavid