The presidential debates could impact the votes of as many as a quarter of voters in Wisconsin, according to a poll released Wednesday.
In the Quinnipiac University Poll, 25 percent of respondents from Wisconsin reported being very likely"" or ""somewhat likely"" to be influenced by the debates in their voting decisions.
The poll, conducted Sept. 14-21, surveyed voters in the four ""hotly contested"" states of Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
According to the poll Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has a 49 to 42 percent lead in Wisconsin.
The first debate is scheduled for this Friday, with the first vice presidential debate scheduled for Oct. 2.
However, Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Wednesday he wants to delay the debates on account of the present financial crisis, a move that Obama strongly opposes.
Obama said in a statement the current economic crisis makes the debates ""more important than ever.""
According to UW-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin, voters have not made up their minds yet.
""The public still has some deciding to do,"" Franklin said.
The debates are an opportunity for candidates to gain the trust of voters, Franklin said, and are especially crucial for Obama, who ""has only been on the national scene for about four years.""
Franklin said although either candidate could benefit from the debate, party loyalty often limits the impact of the debates on the election because viewers will see their party's candidate as the winner of the debate.
While the debates rarely have an immediate impact, they can solidify a candidate's victory, as in President Ronald Reagan's 1980 election, according to Franklin.
""In this historic election with the American people still largely undecided, the debates could play a significant role in determining whom voters will trust, and ultimately, whom they will decide to make the next president,"" Franklin said.
