Voters critical of both candidates after debate

By Karen Aho, MSN Money

Voters tuning into Wednesday's presidential debate in search of policy details didn't necessarily come away satisfied, but in the end that may not even matter.

"It's perception," said Dan Sierra, a merchandise manager in Atlanta, who, as a result of the debate, now supports Romney. "You've got two people running to be the most powerful person in the world, and so much of it has little to do with the meat of the position."

Sierra was explaining his own reaction to the debate, which focused more on the candidates' behavior and stage presence than on their words. Sierra, 56, added that he won't read fact-checking articles later. "I'm not that obsessed."

"Romney, he really did outperform. He was comfortable, and aggressive but not mean," said Sierra. "From my perspective, I saw a guy who can get it done when he needs to."

This is just the kind of reaction that worries Matt Croteau, a real estate entrepreneur in New York City and a registered Democrat.

"A lot of people fall for these big promises that politicians make, but there's no details on how it's going to work," said Croteau, 37. "I wish Obama had pushed further and said, 'How are you going to actually do this? What are the details?'"

Croteau's income exceeds $250,000, but he supports eliminating the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.

"I did well in small business," he said. "But at the same time, I understand that you have to have things in balance. . . . You have to make sure we're all taken care of and OK, rather than just giving entrepreneurs tax breaks and hoping they'll pass it down. I don't think that works."

But the nuances of trickle-down economics don't win elections, and it was Romney that won over voters in Wednesday's debate by repeating the word "jobs," said Croteau, who pointed out how CNN's instant-poll graph would spike favorably each time.

"I hope that Obama catches on to that and changes his rhetoric," Croteau said. "Because I know he's got a great attitude and mindset in what he wants to do for the country. I know he cares.

"However, that's not who wins the election. Who wins the election is who says what the people want to hear the most. Last time it was change. Now it's jobs."

Certainly the rhetoric worked for Sierra, who mentioned it immediately when asked about what the candidates said that impressed him.

"The thing I heard over and over and over was jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs," Sierra said. "And I think that's what the United States needs now, somebody to get people working and make that a priority."

Sean Van Anglen, a college student watching the debate with Romney campaign workers in New Hampshire, said Romney's performance electrified and energized the room.

"I think Mitt stuck to message, stuck on point, I think he really flustered Obama when he talked about the economy," said Van Anglen, 20.

"I think this is going to be a red state," he said of New Hampshire, a swing state that had Obama leading slightly in the polls before the debate. "It was like they got a shot of adrenalin for Romney tonight."

Van Anglen, a volunteer for state Republican leaders, also said the debate lacked the details he's been seeking, primarily regarding student loans. He'd like to hear from both candidates on how they're going to help college students get through school. Van Anglen, who admits he hasn't researched the candidates' positions yet, favors an increase in federal grants.

"I think the government should find a way to allocate a certain amount of money each fiscal year. I don't think that students should have to pay it back," he said. "The American dream is going to college, buying a house, raising a family."

While detailed proposals would likely not change Van Anglen's support for Romney, he said, other voters are watching with an eye on specific policy prescription.

Ed Dalton, 75, and his wife, Sharon, 61, watched the first of the three presidential debates from their home in Windham, N.H., eager for details about the Republican candidate's proposals to overhaul Medicare and Social Security.

"Romney is a good debater and he did well in the debate, but did he answer my questions? No," said Ed Dalton, a retired engineer in New Hampshire who calls himself an independent but has been voting Democratic recently.

Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, have proposed a fixed, free-market payment plan for seniors on Medicare, and say they would raise the eligibility age for Social Security while capping growth rates for some recipients.

But exactly how Romney and Ryan would do this while preserving benefits and cutting program costs remains a mystery to the Daltons. The couple, who lost nearly all their 401k retirement savings when an investment went belly-up, will need to rely heavily on Social Security and Medicare after Sharon retires.

"I don't think Romney came up with any details on how he was going to preserve Medicare and Social Security," Ed Dalton said. "Romney covered his bases very well and didn't come out with the thing that he wants, privatization and vouchers."

"Nobody forced him to," chimed in his wife.

Whether such details matter to the undecided voters -- those who will decide the outcome of the election in key swing states -- is the question for November.