Runner on the Street: Influence of the first presidential debate
October 15, 2020
The chaos of the first presidential debate, which occurred on Sept. 29, left many viewers astounded by the varying levels of performance from each presidential candidate. Rather than watching a debate that tackled the essential issues in contemporary society, viewers were exposed to a circus filled with the unsatisfactory tricks of overt interruptions and a lack of professionalism. Given these circumstances, did the first presidential debate influence the political perceptions of viewers?
Has the first presidential debate changed your mind in any way, or do you remain in the same voting position?
“After watching parts of the debate, I was left in a state in [which] I did not know who to vote for. I would change my mind every now and then, depending on the ideas the candidates had, but I am not 100% ready to make a decision on who to vote for.” – Diego Guillen, Music, Sophomore
“No. Although it was not quite the best debate, I still remain with the same voting position because to me it is the best option for not only myself but others.” – Yvette Meza, English, Sophomore
“No, I am still not changing my mind on voting for Trump.” – Cameron Dominguez, Studio Arts, Sophomore
“Before the first presidential debate, I knew who I was going to vote for. Although the debate was not one for the books, it proved to me that I was making the correct decision. #Don’tforgettovote #BLM.” – Andrea Nieves, History, Sophomore
“The presidential debate has the power to influence many people’s opinions. Mine, however, had stayed relatively the same, and I stand with my first choice and opinions. One thing that I still believe is that health care should be accessible to everyone and ‘Obamacare’ [Affordable Care Act] should just be improved upon.” – Gavriel Ceballos, History, Sophomore