If you live in the United States of America, then you know that the first Presidential Debate occurred on Tuesday this week. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump stood side-by-side, answering some of America’s biggest and most important questions regarding what they will do if elected president.
Watching the Presidential debates is an important thing to do, whether you have made up your mind or not about who to vote for, and whether or not you are truly interested in politics or not. If you missed the first one, there are still two more scheduled debates to come. And it is critical that you watch them.
Watching Presidential debates is different than listening to a speech delivered from a candidate. When a candidate gives a speech, they have had it written for them and rehearsed it, and when they deliver the speech, they seem (and are) extremely scripted. With the debates, however, the candidates do not necessarily know the questions they will be asked ahead of time. Sure, they have a general idea and can prepare from their guesses, but they cannot be sure. They have to think on the spot, and without time to prepare their answer, they may tell the actual truth (shocker!), rather than a scripted ‘truth’ from a speech. However, if you listen closely, you will probably hear them answer the question by saying something that avoids the question-but that is how you know it is not too scripted.
You can also get a good sense of a candidate’s personality and demeanor from the debates. How does the candidate act towards the other candidate? Are they cordial or demeaning? Do they get angry quickly? Do they deliver ‘low-blows’ to the other candidate? Do they interrupt and speak over the other person? You can see a truer sense of the candidate when they debate, rather than when they deliver a speech.
This is the first time in my life that I will vote for the next president (God help me), and thus, this is the first Presidential debate that I watched. I am not interested in politics much, but I am interested in being informed and making the best decision that I can. Watching the Presidential debates helps me do just that.
Watch the next Presidential debate on October 4th at 8 pm CT, and the following debate on October 9th at 8 pm CT. If you happen to be on SXU’s campus, the debates will be screened in the Fourth Floor Boardroom, both beginning at 7:30pm. Doors open at 7:15pm.
Missed the first debate? What are you waiting for? Watch it here.
Viewpoints Editor
Jill Augustine