The Debates Are Over
After two presidential debates, one Vice President debate, two separate town halls, a Coronavirus superspreader event, hundreds of tweets, and tons of undecided voter polls – debate season is finally over.
Last night, October 22nd, was the second and final presidential debate of 2020 between President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden. To quickly summarize, there was a stark difference between what we saw last month and what we saw last night.
Here are the highlights:
Debate moderator Kristen Welker, NBC News journalist and White House Correspondent, was fantastic. She was strong and in command of the candidates the whole night – an inspiration to any young women/aspiring journalists watching.
In a year of incorporating new technology to attend meetings and schools, the best technology to come out of 2020 is the “mute microphone” button. Thanks to that function, this debate was much more bearable.
President Trump, though much more restrained in interruptions, used most of the debate to accuse Biden and his family of corruption. He frequently referenced a conspiracy theory reported by The New York Post about Hunter Biden’s personal emails and money he supposedly received from Ukraine.
Unfortunately, he didn’t do much to lay out any plans he has for a second term if re-elected. He did continue to show optimism for the end of the Coronavirus, something he believes will come soon. As of Thursday night, the United States reported 75,000 new cases and virus hospitalizations have gone up 40% in the last month, according to The New York Times.
On the other hand, Biden did do a better job of answering the questions the moderator asked. With a focus on a plan to get us over the pandemic, his health care plan which he called “Biden Care”, and speaking directly to parents of Black boys and girls across the country, promising change in what he called “institutional racism”.
With that being said, he was not above using some of his time to also get some attacks in. He talked about Trump’s relationship with the President of North Korea, who Biden referred to as a “thug”. He also accused Trump of having a secret bank account in China, a story that was reported by The New York Times earlier this week.
Both candidates got their shots in, Trump more than Biden some would argue, but is that the point of a debate? Or is a debate meant to tell the American people how their lives can change and be better? It’s up to us to decide who will do that.
Most people aren’t expecting that this debate will move the needle too much in terms of undecided voters. According to instant polls done by CNN, Data for Progress, and YouGov, Biden won the debate over President Trump.
Both candidates have extremely different views on the issues discussed – it’s up to you to decide who you agree with. Early voting in Massachusetts has already begun, vote early or on November 3rd. Your opinion matters. Your vote is important. Make your voice heard.
