The Winston Group analyzed the 2012 primary election debates, looking at the following questions: How well did the questions reflect the issues that voters wanted to hear about? Which networks and which anchors asked the most questions? And which candidates received the most questions?
Over the course of twenty debates in eight distinct states (and the District of Columbia), the Republican candidates were asked 719 total questions. By analyzing trends and questioning patterns that existed in 2012, we can develop some context for the 2015-16 debates. In this report, we present notable findings from our research. Perhaps the most striking insight from 2012: though Republican voters consistently said (in primary exit polls and surveys) that economic issues were their top priority in determining who to vote for, questions about the economy were largely underrepresented throughout the debates.
