Patrons at Mr. B’s Bar in Royal Oak grade the Biden-Palin debate

Mr. B's patrons discuss the vice presidential candidates' debate. (photo: Minehaha Forman)

On a fall night sprinkled with chilly showers, a small group tuned in to the vice presidential debate at Mr. B’s Bar and Grille in Royal Oak, Mich., Thursday evening. Of the many TVs in the bar, two small screens were dedicated to the debate. Because of the loud music, viewers read the candidates’ responses via closed captioning provided by Fox News, so their eyes were constantly fixed on the screen.

One recurring word used to describe Gov. Sarah Palin among the crowd was “coached,” while Sen. Joe Biden was called “over-opinionated.” While it may have been entertaining, the VP debate didn’t seem to sway the opinions of the viewers in the bar.

One viewer, Richie Modi, 25, of Detroit, said he was an undecided voter and that the debate didn’t sway him either way. But he thought it went well.

“It was an honest debate,” he said. “Both candidates were forthcoming with their views. Especially Joe Biden. Palin was obviously coached, but it seemed like Joe Biden was too opinionated. He lost sight of his party’s viewpoints. It’s good that he’s being honest but not good for his party.”

Tiffany Carter, 26, of Detroit, did not hesitate in saying she was an Obama supporter “all the way.” But when asked who won the VP debate, she seemed less enthusiastic. “I don’t think either of them addressed the issues,” she said. “It was the same talking in circles we’ve been seeing this whole election.” She did think that Palin’s lack of experience in national politics and Biden’s years in the Senate made the debate lopsided. “It was uneven because Biden has been able to sit in the Senate with both [presidential] nominees. That’s why there were arguments they just couldn’t have,” she said. “He can’t attack a vote she made if she never voted.”

Another viewer, a 35-year-old resident of Toledo who called himself a “conservative Republican,” said he decided to vote for Obama the day McCain picked Sarah Palin for VP. “I think, given his age and health, it’s a risky choice,” the Ohio resident who declined to give his name said of the Palin pick, referencing some weak interviews and her inexperience as strikes against her.

As for Palin’s performance during the debate, he thought she did better than in past interviews, but that she gave “coached answers.” A voter who has voted Republican in the past, he said he has been turned off by the shortcomings of the Bush administration. “I’ve become disillusioned with the Republican P arty,” he said. “I felt from the beginning that Bush was not a conservative president. Under Bush we saw an increase in government power, in spending … ”

But the Toledoan thought that McCain had a better chance of swinging Ohio to red than Obama does in turning it blue this November and said he understood McCain’s move to pull out of Michigan and focus on states like Ohio. “Ohio was a state won by Bush. There’s a big mistrust of Obama there based on certain propaganda perpetuated by talk radio. The demographics of Ohio are different than Michigan. It’s Democratic in Cleveland, and center city Columbus, but it’s a lot more rural in Ohio.”

He said one appeal that Obama held was his age. “One thing I like about Obama is he’s not the generation of Vietnam,” he said. “He’s young and more responsive to needs of a gentleman such as myself.”

David Lawrence, 30, of Sterling Heights, a friendly staffer at Mr. B’s who tuned in to bits of the debate between tables, said he was completely undecided on whom to vote for, even though he follows politics closely. When asked to chose between the two he said, “I like them both. They’re really good people.” But he said if he had a choice between attending a McCain rally or an Obama rally, that he’d chose the latter. “He’s fresher, but nothing against McCain,” he said.

Lawrence said at first he liked Palin, but with recent events he’s not so sure. “I liked [Palin], but she disappointed me. She’s over-coached; not direct … maybe inexperienced.”

Lawrence didn’t think McCain’s decision to stop campaigning in Michigan will influence his decision either way. “I don’t blame [McCain] for shutting down his campaign in Michigan. You have to put your resources where you have a chance of winning,” he said.