Jan 25, 2008 12:08 am US/Eastern
Debate Watch Party Changes The Mind Of Some At FAU
BOCA RATON (CBS4) ―
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Students at FAU held a party to watch the debate, and some even changed their mind afterward.
CBS
At a debate viewing party Thursday FAU students, including Democrats, watched the Republican debate on TV. Some changed their mind about who they're voting for and others got to meet Mike Huckabee after the debate.
"Yeah it's like a party," said Juan Fernandez, a sophomore at FAU.
Whoever said politics is boring wasn't on the campus of FAU Thursday night.
"It is history in the making and it is great to be a part of it," said student Kimberly Kreidler.
Less than a football field away from the candidates, students crammed an auditorium—Republicans, and even Democrats. They got together to watch the candidates duke it out on television.
James Shackelford won a lottery to see it in the watch party.
"Well I want to hear a lot about Mike Huckabee's fair tax, Romney's fortune 500, and the issue with McCain about the issue of national security--about the facts of amnesty that he supports," said Shackelford.
From the beginning the focus of the debate was the economy.
By a show of cheers, one candidate seemed to shine above the others in the debate.
"In just speaking about it, Mike Huckabee, he was very straight forward in what he had to say," said Michael Elias, a Republican Senior. "He said he wasn't there when decisions were made."
Even Chloe Dolandis was surprised by what she heard.
"It's been really, really neat as a far leftist to be able to come into a Republican debate and nod my head and say,'ok, I can deal with that'," said Dolandis.
And she wasn't alone. It did change the minds of some.
"I wasn't going for Huckabee, but he's actually pretty good so I'm thinking of going for him now," said Vermer Maldonado, a Democrat.
CBS4's David Sutta was able to catch up with Huckabee while he greeted students at the viewing party. Huckabee explained what he says makes him stand out from the rest of the candidates. "I'm the only person running for president who's actually governed a state over a long enough period of time to be both through good and bad times—governed through a recession, saw our per-capita income go up 50%, creating jobs, building roads," said Huckabee.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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