Students watched intently as the vice presidential candidates debated for the first and only time Thursday night.
Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Joe Biden answered questions on issues such as the economy, the energy crisis, same-sex marriage and foreign policy.
About 30 students packed into the commons area of the Student Residence Center to watch the debate, hosted by Washington University in St. Louis.
Most of the students who participated in the Daily Lobo's post-debate poll said Biden was the clear winner.
Many did not expect Palin to do well, as controversy surrounded Palin in the weeks leading up to the event. Many worried she would not hold her own against Biden, in part because of a poorly received interview with Katie Couric, which was satirized by Saturday Night Live and is being released by CBS in segments.
Some students who responded to the poll reported that the debate changed their minds on whom they would vote for.
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Student reactions were strongest when the candidates discussed foreign policy and energy independence.
Palin addressed the economic crisis and said she understands the fear in the eyes of soccer moms when she talks to them about America's financial situation.
However, Biden said John McCain's policy history shows he is "out of touch" when it comes to the economy.
Palin said "Joe Six-Pack" and the "average hockey mom" won't be fooled again by credit agencies.
Biden said the economic collapse is due in part to McCain's support for deregulation on Wall Street and that more regulations must be put in place to ensure the economy's return to good health.
Although policy answers differed, both candidates said America is in need of a change in government.
"When it comes to the technical sense of who won, it was clear that Biden won," Junior Oliver Newkirk said. "I think that Biden is a lot more eloquent and was a lot better at answering the questions directly than Palin was."
According to CNN, 86 percent of people polled across America said Palin did better than expected; the crowd in the SRC commons shared the same sentiment.
Sophomore Yagazie Emezi said that although she is voting for Obama, Palin exceeded her expectations.
"I think that both candidates did a good job," Emezi said. "I think that Palin did a good job, although I do think that she was kind of an amateur compared to her opponent."
Newkirk said Palin's success was impressive given her opponent's years of experience in the Senate.
"I am surprised on how well Palin actually did in debate against someone as skilled and knowledgeable as Joe Biden," he said. "She stuck to some of the issues that she knew a lot about."
Senior Nathaniel Wiest, who wore a McCain-Palin T-shirt, said the debate was a stalemate.
"Is it possible for me to say that the two candidates tied?" he said. "I would say that there was no clear winner. They both did very well."
Wiest said the candidates have strong points in their political history that helped them in their style of debate.
"I think that Biden has a lot of knowledge on the issues," he said. "Gov. Palin put on a very good performance, which is something that I was very worried about."
