It is important for everyone to be engaged in politics. I understand that politics can be boring or dismal, but every vote is paramount when it comes to shaping the future. Next year I will be able to vote, so I’ve been trying to stay up-to-date with the upcoming election. In doing so, I’ve been watching the debates and boy do I have a lot to say.
Starting off, I believe CNN did a poor job of moderating the debate. 30 seconds is not enough time to elaborate on policies, however, none of the candidates even got to talk about their policies because CNN was too busy trying to make them fight one another. The first half-hour of the second night was essentially Kamala Harris and Joe Biden bickering. The moderators would spend more time asking candidates who are polling at 1% what they thought of Joe Biden’s policies, rather than asking them to elaborate on their own policies! Stirring drama for views is exactly why the Democratic party is so fractured.
In terms of candidates who stood out to me were Bernie Sanders, Tulsi Gabbard, and Andrew Yang. Although it is unlikely Tulsi and Yang will be the Democratic nominee, I do hope they use this election to build name-recognition and then run again in four years. Yang answered every question directly and succinctly explained his universal income plan. Tulsi called out Harris’ abysmal prosecutor record (which you should definitely look up, yikes!). Sanders has a shot of becoming the nominee, which I hope he does because he has strong policies and continues to call out the DNC. Marianne Williamson also stood out. Nicknamed “orb mom”, she is the meme candidate who occasionally makes some interesting points.
The candidates that continue to flounder for me are Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Harris is an eloquent and dramatic speaker, but I cannot look past her prosecutor record and her hypocrisy. Biden does not have any strong policies and relied on Obama as his sole endorsement. The last two debates were embarrassing for him and provided that he is running low on stamina.
Although some people may find the debates boring, they are an essential part of our democracy. The next debate will be in September, so I urge you all to research the candidates and support whomever you like.
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