The great debate watch party: The student body analyzed candiates responses as they prepare for elections
Written by admin on September 12, 2024
By: Shaneece Flax
The initial presidential debate unfolded, and students from Texas Southern University (TSU) gathered for a viewing party at the Ensemble Theatre in Houston, Texas, on Sep. 10, 8 pm.
Students who attended the watch party expressed significant concerns about the responses given by both candidates to the questions posed.
“Clearly Harris answered viably, but not impeccably clearly,” TSU student Naera Shumati said.
The recent presidential debate put the spotlight on pressing issues such as the economy, immigration, abortion, and the cost of living—topics of significant concern to voters seeking clarity from the candidates.
Observations from the student body suggest mixed reactions; some felt that Harris addressed the questions comprehensively, while others perceived that Trump circumvented direct answers.
Jerry LeDoux III, editor and chief of the TSU Herald felt as if Trump did not answer any questions head on.
“You had one presidential candidate that had a lot of plans which was Kamala, and one president candidate that was spreading false information, telling jokes, talking nonsense, and not answering any questions,” Ledoux said.
Vice Pres. Kamala Harris was first questioned about the primary issue concerning the rising cost of living for Americans.
Kamala Harris, Democratic Presidential Candidate
“I was raised as a middle-class kid and I am the only person up on this stage that has a plan for the middle class and working people of America,” Harris said. “I believe in the ambitions, the aspirations, and the dreams of the American people.”
Harris explained her plan of an “Opportunity Economy” where she plans on giving small businesses a $50-thousand-dollar tax deduction and extending the child tax credit to 6 thousand dollars per child.
“I went to the Wharton School of Finance and many of those professors the top professors think my plan is a brilliant plan, it’s a great plan; it’s a plan that will bring up our worth and value as a country,” Trump said. “She doesn’t have a plan she copied Biden’s plan.”
Trump’s response to the question about his economic plan left many students at the Ensemble Theatre disappointed due to the lack of specific strategies in his explanation.
Skyiah Johnson, a student in attendance at the watch party, said she felt scared for the future of Americans if Trump were to win the Presidency.
“It’s honestly scary, I’m not going to lie,” Johnson said. “I would hope that Americans would watch the debate and consider what happened, but still a majority of people, they are still going to vote for who they feel is right. I am personally voting for Kamala.”
Anchor David Muir inquired about the reason Donald Trump terminated an immigration bill that would have resulted in the hiring of thousands of border patrol agents. Trump’s response seemed peculiar to students.
Donald Trump, Republican Presidential Candidate
“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in; they’re eating the cats,” Trump said. “They’re eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”
Muir promptly fact-checked Trump regarding the rumor and attempted to elicit a direct response, but Trump did not provide a clear answer.
By the end of the debate, Students felt that Kamala won because of the factual statistics she provided in response to Trump, but time was wasted debunking untrue information.
“I feel as if Kamala is the lesser of two evils,” Shumati said. “Harris is for women’s rights, while the other party was more concerned with things that aren’t possible.”
Students have voiced their dissatisfaction with the evasion of questions, the absence of factual answers, and the odd remarks made by former President Trump, while also in agreement that Vice Pres. Kamala Harris answered most of the questions to the best of her ability.
Students look forward to heading to the polls on Nov. 5 to exercise their right to vote for their preferred candidate.
