An estimated 43.15 million viewers tuned in to watch the vice-presidential debate Tuesday, October 1. That is roughly fifty-eight times the entire population of Seattle. having millions of eyes on them, both candidates needed to step up and fill in the gaps left by their running partners. But what made the presidential debate so unorthodox?
The presidential debates historically shape voter opinions and the election outcome. Between work and their busy lives, many Americans struggle to keep up with election news. These debates allow candidates to showcase and defend their policies live, making it easier for voters to compare candidates’ policies and understand their stance on pressing issues.
During the vice-presidential debate on Tuesday, October 1, viewers noticed a stark contrast compared to the recent debate between presidential candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. While the topics of both debates were similar, the tone and level of professionalism differed significantly.
The vice-presidential candidates, Tim Walz and J.P. Vance, took to the stage for their first and only vice-presidential debate. This debate followed the unusual presidential debate in early September. From the mocking remarks to the numerous false claims made by both Harris and Trump, voters were rightfully concerned about the outcome of the VP debate.
The September 2024 debate between Harris and Trump had several noticeable flaws from both sides. For Trump, many of his claims were misleading or inaccurate. For example, Trump claimed that immigrants in Ohio were eating the pets of residents.
“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats… They’re eating the pets of the people that live there,” Trump said. “And this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”
This rumor was quickly debunked, yet it still questions the professionalism and reliability of the Trump campaign. Harris, on the other hand, also had factual slip-ups of her own.
“Donald Trump left us [with the] worst unemployment since the Great Depression. Donald Trump left us the worst public health epidemic in a century,” Harris said. “Donald Trump left us the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.”
This claim was also debunked, proving that the unemployment rate was 6.4% lower than it has been since the 1930s.
When candidates are seen as misleading, or when they fail to provide substantive responses, it negatively impacts public perception and trust in their leadership abilities. During the October presidential debates, important issues such as immigration, the economy, and healthcare were overshadowed by misleading claims, preventing the crucial dialogue about solutions that voters wanted to hear about. For undecided voters, the lack of clear and honest communication can lead to disengagement from the election, making them less likely to vote come November.
In contrast, both Walz and Vance offered a more issue-forced and substantial discourse. Both candidates spoke on more pressing and relevant issues such as Iran’s attack on Israel and Hurricane Helene. The vice-presidential candidates also addressed claims made by the opposing candidates in a way that addressed the issue without pointed attacks.
In response to the Harris campaign being claimed as pro-abortion, Walz said
“I’m going to respond on the pro-abortion piece of that. No, we’re not. We’re pro-women. We’re pro-freedom to make your own choice. We know what the implications are to not be that woman having miscarriages, women not getting the care, physicians feeling like they may be prosecuted for providing that care.”
When asked about the Trump campaign’s plan of seizing federal land, Vance responded by saying
“Well, what Donald Trump has said is we have a lot of federal lands that aren’t being used for anything. They’re not being used for national parks. They’re not being used; and they could be places where we build a lot of housing…We have a lot of land that could be used. We have a lot of Americans that need homes.”
Though the vice-presidential debate was nowhere near as entertaining as the Trump-Harris debate in early September, the discussions were informative and beneficial for voters watching. Even with the unusual discourse of the presidential debate this year, the polls are still seemingly tied. As the election nears, the tight race highlights the deep divisions within a highly polarized political climate. Luckily, the SPU library has resources that make the voting process less daunting. The 2024 voter guide for the upcoming U.S. elections, offering voter information, candidate guides and analysis tools to make the voting process for students smoother.
Register to Vote! – Election 2024 – Subject Guides at Seattle Pacific University (libguides.com)
