Presidential debate: Clinton wins polls but loses votes in swing state of North Carolina

On September 26, 2016, The Charlotte Observer gathered 21 mostly undecided North Carolina voters to watch the first presidential debate. After it ended, political reporters Tim Funk and David Lightman led a discussion streamed in real time via Facebook live. Here is what happened. Justine Miller jmiller@mcclatchy.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

Kae Roberts and Jay Eardly were leaning toward Hillary Clinton before Monday night’s debate.

By the end, they had both pulled away.

John Kokos and Hank Federal were undecided going in, potential Clinton backers.

By the end, they’d ruled her out.

Indeed, while polls found that Clinton had won the first general-election debate with Donald Trump on Monday, she may not have won actual votes. And she may even have lost some, at least in the battleground state of North Carolina.

In a focus group of 21 voters from around Charlotte conducted by McClatchy and The Charlotte Observer, four who had been up for grabs before the debate had moved away from her by the end.

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