Clinton Trounces Trump In Final Debate, In Exclusive Dial-Meter Focus Group Conducted By WVWVAF

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Hillary Clinton demolished challenger Donald Trump last night in the final presidential debate by 57 percent to 26 percent, according to exclusive dial-meter focus group research conducted by the Women's Voices Women Vote Action Fund (WVWVAF). The research —among 140 likely voters including millennials, white non-college persuadable voters, unmarried women, and down-ballot "ticket splitters"— found that Secretary Clinton won the night by drawing a stark contrast between herself and Mr. Trump on the economy and taxes and between their temperaments and fitness for office. Support for Trump cratered when he claimed to respect women, refused to accept the results of the election and defended his bromance with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Clinton's live-dial numbers were strongest when she talked about an economy that works for everyone, in contrast to Trump's top-down tax cuts. Her emphasis on taxing the rich to invest in the middle class was particularly appealing to white working-class persuadable voters and minority millennials. At the end of the night, perceptions that Clinton is "looking out for the middle class" and "has good plans for the economy" grew 16 points and 8 points, respectively.

"Donald Trump tanked with all segments of our likely voters in the dial groups as well as the live audience in Las Vegas when he claimed that 'Nobody has more respect for women than I do,'" said Page Gardner, President and Founder of WVWVAF. "He has shown a callous disregard for women throughout his campaign, and last night voters made clear that they are not buying his disingenuous claims. His disrespectful comments about the 'nasty woman' and 'bad hombres' don't reflect the views of the majority of Americans and are especially insulting to the people of color, unmarried women and millennials who make up the Rising American Electorate."

The live dials recorded a giant dip when Trump said "Nobody has more respect for women than I do."  Another one of Clinton's biggest points of improvements, according to the post-debate focus groups' survey, were on honesty, trustworthiness and favorability. Her personal image improved by 9 points over the course of the evening.

Down Ballot Help
Clinton's performance may also have helped Democratic Senate candidates in battleground states. The Democratic Senate vote in these contested states increased 9 points – from 46 percent to 55 percent – during the debate.

"Down-ballot voters and ticket splitters are still making up their minds about their Senate candidates, and liked what they heard from Clinton last night," Gardner said. "They were impressed by Clinton's economic priorities and focus on the middle class, and that support could translate into good news for Senate Democrats come Election Day."

The Women's Voice Women Vote Action Fund dial groups were conducted by Democracy Corps and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research among 140 likely voters. They included: 19 white millennials, 28 minority millennials, 48 white non-college persuadable voters, 28 white unmarried women, and 17 Clinton voters who were splitting their ticket in Senate races in battleground states. Surveys were administered before and after the live-dial meter session. An online breakout focus group among those who shifted their vote to the Democratic Senate candidate down-ballot was conducted after the debate.

WVWVAF streamed last night's debate live on Facebook Live. It also conducted live dial testing during the first presidential debate.

About Women's Voices Women Vote Action Fund
The Women's Voices Women Vote Action Fund (WVWVAF) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501 (c)(4) organization founded in 2005 and dedicated to increasing the voting participation and issue advocacy of unmarried women.

Unmarried women—single, separated, divorced or widowed—make up over 25 percent of all voting-age Americans and are one of the fastest growing demographic groups in America. Unmarried women, together with African Americans, Latinos, other people of color and millennials, comprise the Rising American Electorate (RAE). They are the majority of the voting eligible voting population (56.7 percent) and the key to success for progressives in 2016 and beyond—if they show up to vote their progressive values in numbers that represent their growing demographic strength. www.wvwvaf.org.

SOURCE Women’s Voices Women Vote Action Fund

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