On Jan. 28, 2016, FOX News was scheduled to hold another GOP debate. The difference with this debate was that Mr. Donald Trump would not be attending. The last time Donald Trump appeared on the Fox New’s stage he claimed he was "treated unfairly” because Megyn Kelly, a renowned journalist, asked him why he used such derogatory terms towards women. Needless to say, Donald Trump socially attacked Megyn Kelly from there on out, at one point stating "You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.”
Admittedly, I watch most republican debates because the things Donald Trump says are so outlandish that I find humor in them. When I found out that Mr. Trump would not be attending the debate a huge part of me questioned if I would even watch it. I then realized the impact that Donald Trump has on ratings and the way Donald Trump has turned to the presidential election into a spectacle that people watch for entertainment instead of watching to be informed. I thought of how social media was redefining the election into a popularity contest. I realized how candidates from both parties were using social media platforms to appear “cool” and “hip” to win votes. Although Donald Trump has been the most successful with entertaining the public, he's not the only one that is trying to use entertainment as a way to bolster their campaign, and for me, this begs the question if any of our candidates are actually serious about becoming president?
The presidential election, starting with the primaries, is it time for candidates to inform the public ongoing issues in society and the ways that they intend on acting upon these issues. The 2016 presidential election has turned into a source of comedy and entertainment as people wait to see what Donald Trump is a live tweeting about Hillary Clinton as she is presenting her speech. More people are aware of Hillary Clinton “hitting the whip” on "The Ellen Show" than the are aware of Hillary Clinton's policies or what she intends to do once in office. I once heard someone compared the presidential election to elections at high school. Everyone just wants to be popular and they want to rely on that to become president.
Donald Trump might not be attending the GOP debate. Hillary Clinton might be “dabbing" her way into relating to the younger generation. At the end of the day, people need to remember that the 2016 presidential election isn't about entertainment, but it decides the future of the United States and how the rest of the world interacts with us, views us and respects us. Congratulations for Donald Trump being a proficient tweeter at his age and congratulations to Hillary Clinton for knowing what the “hip" moves of the generation are; but unfortunately, I doubt either of these talents are going to help the United States very much next time something important happens like a war, a natural disaster or a social reconstruction.
