As we get down to the home stretch of this election, which everyone is relieved about, we’re also getting close to final debate on Wednesday. The previous two featured some meme-worthy and comedic spats heard around the world, so it was notable. For all the wrong reasons. If, based on the events we’re seeing, we still won’t get anything new about the two candidates, other than the latest scandal.
Instead, here are the thoughts and questions I came up during the cycle of a debate, because analysis of this election has gone through a lot.
- If we’re organizing debate watching parties, isn’t that relegating this to reality TV?
Honestly, I’ve watched this with a friend, and it was fun with all the junk food and discussing about what was going on. Simultaneously, it reminds me of watching your favorite television series. Put two and two together and you wonder if it has all became a tabloid show, meant for ratings?
- How will they greet each other?
To the most polite candidate!
- And the same time, how they look.
Ironically, this goes counter to the importance of substance, the importance of ideas to come up. However, party colors shift, one may look more energetic than the other etc. While the former is just a joke, the latter is something to note when a person decides who “won” the debate.
- The moderator…?
A lot of people emphasize on the moderator’s role in the debate to ask good questions and keep the debate from becoming a blistering inferno through calling out fallacies and when somebody has gone over the time limit. Personally, I don’t see this as a main factor, because it’s all about the candidates and what they have to offer; speaking of which…
- Substance, anyone?
When I watch the two debate, I hope to get some more information about what they stand for and what they plan to do for the country. With Hillary Clinton telling people to “go on her website” during the first debate and Donald Trump making his similar claims, I didn’t feel like I’ve learned anything that I haven’t already read online, heard from friends, or taken a political quiz about.
- Anytime “emails”, “leaks”, or “sexual assault” is mentioned.
To those people who mention those ideas...are we done yet?
- Don’t go over the time limit!
I’ve observed both candidates go over the time limit, and I just want them to cut it off. When they don’t, I wonder...why?
- Whenever a good zinger is released…
...it feels like winning a game of chess. Or winning the internet, because everyone will be talking about it for days on end. Or on another plane…
- I wonder if this debate should be in the form of a rap battle.
To be honest, it would be interesting. I’ve heard of parodies of people doing so on the internet, and figured why they shouldn’t do the same. But that goes back to the importance of substance, which there might be little in wit. And so I wonder.
- Where are Gary Johnson and Jill Stein when you need them?
According to the Commission for Presidential Debates, a candidate has to have at least a fifteen percent average on five major polls to be able to debate. Because of their relatively low polling averages, they are not able to debate on either stage. However, both of the candidates appear on a good amount of ballots (Gary Johnson appears in all fifty states, whereas Jill Stein is on enough ballots to theoretically win the Electoral College), and they provide some good ideas the Democratic and Republican parties do not. Why not?
