As election day quickly approaches and Americans everywhere prepare to cast their ballots, the two major party campaigns’ engaged in highly anticipated debates over the past month.
The Democratic ticket consists of Vice President (VP) Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.The two faced the Republican challengers former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator James David “JD” Vance over the past month in a series of two televised debates.
Since President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race on September 21, questions have arisen surrounding Trump’s willingness to debate Harris. The first and only debate between Harris and Trump occurred on September 10 and the VP debate between Walz and Vance occurred on October 1.
Throughout both debates, the candidates attempted to appeal to the small number of remaining undecided voters. The Republicans attempted to discredit Harris’s record as VP by pressing the Democrats on why the issues they’re currently campaigning on were not resolved by the Biden administration. Conversely, the Democrats centered their attacks around the perceived dangers of a second Trump presidency and the campaign’s tendency to fabricate details.
The influence of fact checking highlighted both debates. The Presidential debate’s moderators, ABC’s David Muir and Linsey Davis called out any false claims shared by candidates on air. Notable instances include Davis correcting Trump’s claims about Haitian migrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, and states’ performing “after birth” abortions, which Trump called “executions”.
Per the parameters of the VP debate however, CBS’s Norah O’Donnell and Margaret Brennan did not engage in live fact checking. Instead, CBS opted to display a QR code onscreen for viewers to access live fact checking information if desired.
Both debates bore a stark contrast in overall decorum. The presidential candidates engaged in a more heated battle, disregarding standard debate conventions and speaking out of turn. The VP candidates demonstrated civility and bipartisanship, even agreeing with each other at times.
Regardless of your politics, it is important to be informed and civically engaged. Get out and vote this November 5, Lutes!
