Iowa voters react to VP debate at watch parties across the metro

WEST DES MOINES, IOWA — The first and only Vice Presidential Debate in New York on Tuesday night brought out Iowa voters in both parties eager to listen to both candidates.

WHO 13 News went to two watch parties, one in Des Moines and one in West Des Moines. One was for Democrats and the other for Republicans.

The Blazing Saddle in downtown held the Downtown Democrat watch party, with several voters there. WHO 13’s Zach Fisher caught up with one voter right as the debate began to see what he was expecting to see over the course of the next hour and a half.

“I’m hoping that we can see Tim Walz be reasonable in his responses to show people that we have the potential to have stable minds that are calm and well-informed in office. I am hoping J.D. Vance can show some of the weaknesses of the Trump campaign with having not as developed policy and just being weird,” said Jordan True from Des Moines.

Out in West Des Moines at Bevy’s Tavern was a watch party for Dallas County Republicans with people from other counties in attendance as well. There were three themes that were common amongst voters there in the debate: immigration, the economy and abortion.

“I am a stay at home mom, spoiled housewife I guess you could call me. And my husband works his butt off to make sure that I stay home and I don’t have to work and anything like that. But lately his dollar hasn’t been going as far as it should and it’s becoming a mess at home and it’s becoming a stress for him and I am not a fan of it,” said Chasity Meinders from Pleasant Hill. She added that any candidate can win her support in any election if they can impact her household positively.

“What I am seeing right now is appalling it is really disrespectful to us who came here by the book. We all had to wait and do the right thing. I was a child but I know what my father went through. There was no one that gave us free phones, free hotels, food stamps,” said Carmela Rollins of Waukee “We earned our way, now I am all for charity but this is not charity this is treason.”

“Well abortion, that was one of my biggest, I was a teen pregnancy and I had a lot of people that told me that I couldn’t do anything without getting an abortion. And I got through nursing school and now I have four kids and I’m married and I’m glad I didn’t because he’s sitting right over there, so I think it’s very close and dear to my heart. And I love what J.D. Vance said,” said Audrey Scott of West Des Moines

All four voters that WHO 13 News interviewed were eager to see specific conversations on policy and see each candidate elaborate on it, staying away from political rhetoric that has made it’s way to the debate stage in the past.

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