It is finally that time after one presidential term when the fate of our country is once again in our hands. The beauty of a democracy definitely lies behind our choice of commander in chief. Though a blessing, if any of you have recently followed this year’s debate, you can gradually begin to sense how dichotomous and illogical our political system has become. While I am excited to finally cast my vote for one of the candidates, I must say that this year’s presidential election has been quite a catastrophic one.
Regardless of my biased views of this year’s election, I have realized that there are some positives behind the process. In 1960, the first televised debate took place at CBS studios. This was the first time that presidential candidates could not only serve the country but also retain an image for the nation as well. Image is everything, often the first impression. Conducting these political debates gives a chance for American citizens to truly see how candidates carry themselves. Campaigns take preparation, and candidates have months to prepare for their best public image. Debates require preparation as well, but allow the presidential candidates to think quickly and answer intelligently. Although presidential debates encompass a great amount of formality, they have become more accessible to citizens, especially the younger ones.
After this past week’s presidential debate at Hofstra University, there will be two more debates taking place on university campuses. Presidential debates have been held on such sites since 1976 at the College of William and Mary. Since then, colleges have consistently hosted the presidential debates. Why is this so important? Polls have shown that out of all age groups in the nation, citizens from ages 18-29 have lowest amount of voter ratings out of any age group. When thinking about the nation as a whole, we tend to dismiss the fact that the youngest generation of voters will be the future and their votes are just as important if not more. Given the right to vote at 18, there is some responsibility in making the right decision for the country.
Every individual casts a vote based on their personal preference of the candidate, but that one decision affects all. There are economic, social, political, and international factors to consider when choosing to vote for a single candidate. This can be a daunting decision especially for new voters who have had little exposure to the general structure of a nation. Having these political debates on the university campuses educates students on the issues at hand and also further inspires an interest in being more politically, economically and socially aware of their surroundings.
An opinion writer from the Washington Post has additionally mentioned that millennials carry issues of infidelity with authoritative figures. Furthermore, according to the Harvard Institute of Politics Youth Poll, only a third of them said that their vote would actually make a difference. Well, if less than a third of you are actually voting, then YES, this will be the case. The idea is to have more millennials voting a ballot that defines their nation rather than just hash tagging any political or social current event. Hopefully, with university-hosted debates, the different standards of authority and citizen can finally be normalized.
The means of advocating have changed over the years because of social media, and a ballot may seem insufficient. Despite seeming unimportant, ballots will determine the new image of the nation.
Voting can be tough. It requires a lot of research and discussion. After living as complete individuals, voting is the one decision that is made for the whole. To all of you youngsters out there, make the right decision for yourself and everyone around you.
