With the 60th United States presidential election less than 45 days away, the divide between the Democratic and Republican Parties grows rapidly every day. The flames have only intensified after the first presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
The debate took place on Tuesday, September 10th live on the US network ABC News in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “World News Tonight” anchor and managing editor David Muir and ABC News Live “Prime” anchor Linsey Davis moderated the debate. The rules of the debate were as such: It would last 90 minutes with two commercial breaks in between, the microphones would only be turned on while it was that candidate’s turn to speak, and each candidate would get two minutes to answer questions, two minutes for rebuttals, and one minute for follow-ups.
The debate covered numerous topics, such as economic plans, abortion laws, immigration policies, and the Israel-Hamas war. While the moderators directed questions covering these topics, there were many instances when the candidates strayed from the questions. Especially Trump’s answers were disjointed at times, and often accusatory. For instance, when he was asked about his plans for the economy, he expressed very passionately that immigrants were destroying America without addressing the question by any means. When the topic of Roe v. Wade — a widely debated decision surrounding abortion rights — came up, Trump pointed out multiple times that the Democrats were making it legal to “execute” babies after they are born, which is a questionable statement. Both candidates criticized each other’s policies, ethics and time in power: “Donald Trump left us the worst unemployment since the Great Depression. Donald Trump left us the worst public health epidemic in a century” (Harris), and “She goes down as the worst vice president in the history of our country. But let me tell you something. She is a horrible negotiator.” (Trump).
The Media
The media plays an active role in the presidential race as users from every corner of the world express their thoughts about the two candidates and the current condition of the U.S.
Much like the first presidential debate between Trump and then-presumptive Democratic nominee President Joe Biden, the topics and arguments were widely discussed on various social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Multiple clips and out-of-context quotes have quickly spread around the Internet and become “memes.”
Additionally, both campaigns’ social media presence on TikTok has increased. The campaign accounts participate in current trends, and jokes, and actively mock each other over social media. While this may come off as an unserious way to talk about one of the most important political events of 2024, social media is a key way to connect with and influence voters. Many people’s exposure to the candidates’ campaigns, their policies, and especially the recent debate happens through social media since they push voters’ opinions of him in different directions.
Polls and Voting
States have already started to permit early voting. Virginia, South Dakota, and Minnesota started early voting on September 20, 2024; Vermont started a day after on September 21, and Illinois started on September 26th. The other states will follow as of October.
Early voting, along with absentee voting, allows voters to cast their ballots before the election day. Early voting has been widely debated in the past with some arguing that it offers a convenient way to vote while others argue that it leads to uneducated decisions since they are made before voters have enough information. Even though the Republican National Committee has embraced early voting, Trump has expressed that he is against it and pushed for single-day voting, which shows inconsistencies in the party’s messaging.
As for the current public opinion, CNN released various polls displaying the current situation of the race. The poll made directly after the debate was conducted via text message with 605 registered voters. 63% of the voters think that Harris did an overall better job in the debate. Favorable opinion of Harris also increased to 45% while Trump’s favorability stayed the same. Multiple other polls show that the preference between the Democratic and Republican Parties is virtually the same. However, the forecasted electoral map shows that the Democrats, who have the West Coast and Northeast on their side, are in the lead, while the majority of the Midwest seems to be leaning more toward the Republican Party.
The already volatile political climate of the United States will potentially continuously increase until election day, November 5th, especially considering how crucial this presidential election is in international relations.