To Mute or Be Muted
Thoughts on September’s debate
Olivia Clarin
June 27. July 21. September 10. Spend a moment taking yourself back to each of those dates. Just thinking about it now, a myriad of emotions come up for me. The end of June filled me with immense dread as I watched the two United States presidential candidates, whose combined age totals reach 159-years-old, babble on about golfing together and World War III. Since the announcement of Biden dropping out of the presidential race, however, myself, moderates, and many of those on the left have gained a newfound hope. Countless viewers from all political backgrounds tuned in to watch the debate between the Democratic Party’s new presidential nominee Kamala Harris and the Republican Former President Donald Trump. Though the mics may have been on for many female artists this year, they were supposedly turned off for the Trump v. Harris debate.
Despite Kamala’s rise in popularity among Gen Z, what TikTok has coined as a “Kamalanomenon,” most Americans did not really know her before September’s presidential debate. Although Harris has been working as the Vice President under Joe Biden for this most recent term, it seemed the public was not clear on which issues she aligned with the 46th president on and which issues she did not. The former Attorney General of California clarified her viewpoints and plan for presidency, separating her presidential campaign from that of her predecessor. This was a tactful way to divert the question away from the decline of Biden’s time in office and focus it more on the positive change she envisioned for America’s future.
During an early exchange in September’s debate, Kamala baited Trump and said, “You will notice how people start leaving his rallies early out of exhaustion and boredom.” Instead of ignoring the obvious trap, the Republican candidate walked right into it, responding with “People don’t leave my rallies. We have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics.” Going off on a tangent like this cost Trump the opportunity to attack Harris on more substantial issues he might otherwise have had the upper hand on, such as immigration and the economy.
Harris took more opportunities to get under Trump’s skin with statements like “Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people” and “That is rich coming from someone who’s been prosecuted.” The former president came back at Harris about her changing of position on fracking and defunding the police, which could be something of consideration for voters who remain undecided. However, an effective point on policy quickly subsided to the most ridiculous comment of the night: “They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.” These statements about Haitian immigrants were not only dead wrong but harmful to the communities that Trump put this false stigma on.
That is not the only instance in which Trump has wrongfully accused individuals from a minority ethnicity, and Vice President Harris made sure to bring that fact up. The case of the “Central Park Five” was mentioned, to which the Republican nominee responded with his familiar remorselessness towards the lives he affected.
After this debate, it appears that the ears of Americans are less muted to the policies and ideas Kamala Harris envisions for the future of this country. In turn, her voter prospects have likely heightened, especially seeing the poise and tactfulness with which she held herself at the podium.
Though my Political Science professor doubts the influence of celebrities in politics, Taylor Swift voicing her full-fledged support for Harris following the debate might just bring in those citizens who otherwise wouldn’t be voting this election year. Regardless of which celebrities endorse which candidate, one thing is clear: the Sept. 10 debate was beneficial to Harris’ campaign and detrimental to Trump’s. The next few months will reveal just how true that statement is.