It was 9:02 pm September 26th 2016. Lester Holt, the debate moderator says to the audience in back of him “1 minute.” Air conditioned at 65 degrees, secret service security every 10-15 feet, the David Mac Sports Complex at Hofstra University was a fortress. From the balcony and upper level where I stood I could see camera’s rushing to the stage within a matter of seconds. The camera’s for televising the event turned red signaling we were going live. The teleprompter in front of Lester turned on and the greatest 90 minutes of a life time began.
It was one of the highest privileges to even stand in the same room for the first ever Presidential Debate of 2016. I was a debate volunteer, assigned as a debate hall usher. From doors opening up until the debate started I monitored and walked up and down the red carpet. Greeting students, watching Civil Rights icons pass by such as Jessie Jackson and Charlie Wrangle. Even towards the end I got to meet the billionaire himself Mark Cuban. After observing the Foyer on the main floor I got to quickly enter the arena and watch the debate.
Standing on the second floor of the debate hall I got an overhead view of all the news hubs, the seating and stage. When Clinton and Trump came out, they both shook hands, walked to their podiums, and started. Throughout the first thirty minutes of the debate both Trump and Clinton didn’t have any big shining moments. Trump obviously highlighted her email scandal and she tried forcing him to show is tax returns. After going on a lengthy five minute rant about an unfinished tax audit Lester Holt then asked questions regarding race. From this point it was a steep nose dive for Trump. Whatever upper hand or momentum he thought he had going quickly flew out the window.
He made the case towards the end of the debate that nuclear weapons are more of a threat than climate change. Glaciers melting, sea levels rising, islands and small nations now at risk of disappearing all together, that isn’t as big of a risk as nukes according to the Donald. He repeated his Law and Order rhetoric that we as a country have to restore Law and Order, taking guns out of the hands of illegal immigrants from Mexico and gang related activity. He praised Stop and Frisk, while all along Hillary Clinton sounded like the only voice of true reason.
This is where we are currently in our election cycle. One of the candidates for a major national political party is a celebrity, the other is a women who has had over a decade plus of first hand government experience. This debate painted two very different paths for people to take on Election Day. We are roughly less than six weeks away from Election Day, and every minute of every day from now until then is going to matter.
