"We got some big laughs out of the crowd" on President Obama's "horses and bayonets" line, CNN's Soledad O'Brien gushed during a focus-group segment on CNN following shortly after the conclusion of Monday's presidential debate. Yet when she turned to see if a member of the focus group found it influential towards his vote, she was rebuffed.
"Often we in the media talk about moments. Did you think that that was an important moment that would influence your vote in any way?" O'Brien asked one Bob Thwaits (sp?), who replied, "No, not at all. I think that the digs are just part of the game and just a distraction. Takes you away from the facts." O'Brien dusted that off and turned to a female panelist who "rolled [her] eyes a lot" at Gov. Romney saying "I love teachers."
"Tell me a little bit about that moment for you," O'Brien asked a female panelist named Ann. Ann said that made her "uncomfortable."
O'Brien next turned to an unemployed man who said that while Romney was a "very intelligent candidate," that the debate pushed him to "stick with President Obama in this election."
O'Brien then concluded the brief segment by noting that "some folks here ... have actually made their decision" but demurred from getting them to state who they are voting for, insisting that "you don't have to tell me who you're voting for" as "for a lot of people that's something personal they don't want to share."
