Murray State students agree young people need to become involved with the upcoming election, even as their political stances differ.
Members of the Murray State College Democrats and College Republicans tuned in to watch presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump face each other on the debate stage on Sept. 10. The candidates discussed a multitude of hot button topics, including abortion, immigration, the economy and foreign policy.
The presidential debate aims to give voters a chance to become more familiar with their candidate’s policies and demeanor. For undecided voters, this could be the deciding factor in who they cast their vote for in November.
Aryn Dotson, president of the Murray State College Democrats, said she believes her party’s candidate, Harris, represented herself and the Democratic Party well.
“She exhibited professionalism, decorum, and candor, while expanding on her policies and directly addressing falsehoods presented by Donald Trump,” Dotson said. “Her beliefs and platforms — reproductive freedom, climate change legislation, etc. — were made very clear, and I feel they represent us as a party very well.”
Lukas Ramey, vice president of the Murray State College Republicans, said while his party’s candidate, Trump, is far from a professional politician, he represented the values of the Republican Party well on the debate stage.
“In Tuesday’s debate he was able to convey many of these ideals and platforms that will continue to help preserve our nation’s strength,” Ramey said. “His stance on immigration, healthcare and our economy are desperately needed to recover our current trajectory.”
Both Ramey and Dotson were pleased with their candidate’s presentation of their platforms. Trump and Harris discussed issues central to the campaigns that earned them their core supporters. For Ramey, he said it was especially important for Trump to highlight his platform on foreign policy, which he said would help eliminate the violence in Gaza and the war in Ukraine. He said he was also glad to see Trump discuss his strategy for tackling inflation, an issue which has “haunted the middle class” in recent years.
For Dotson, Harris’s representation of her stance on reproduction rights was the highlight of her performance. Dotson said reproductive rights is one of the most pressing issues in the upcoming election, second only to the economy.
“(Harris) used both factual evidence and emotional, anecdotal evidence to support her bid for reproductive freedom, and displayed a tenacity that I haven’t seen from any president or presidential candidate since the Obama administration,” Dotson said. “If any undecided voters are concerned about reproductive healthcare, I’m confident that her answer might persuade them to vote blue.”
While Dotson and Ramey said they feel pleased with their candidates’ performances, the debate wasn’t without its flaws. Dotson said she would have liked to see Harris focus more on her own qualifications, rather than spending so much of her time focusing on Trump’s disqualifications.
Ramey expressed similar wishes for his candidate.
“I would like to have seen President Trump highlight his plans and strengths farther, as well as tout his own exemplary record,” Ramey said. “I would also like to have seen President Trump pressure Vice President Harris on her record in office. She is able to claim she would change America for the better, however she has had years in office to demonstrate this to no avail. Trump has an understanding of mainstream Americans and blue collar workers (while) Harris is a California senator who represents only a niche of radical leftist elites. This must be highlighted to the American voter base.”
Despite failings in the debate, both Dotson and Ramey said the debate strengthened their confidence in voting for their party’s candidate.
“After nearly a decade of Trump-centered elections and political fallout, it was so refreshing to see a candidate who knew how to be professional and uphold the respectability afforded to a Vice President (and hopefully future President),” Dotson said. “She came across as dignified and intelligent, particularly in contrast to her opponent, and I believe that she would maintain this tact if elected President. Simply put, she knows how to handle the political sphere, and I don’t think we’ve seen that in a candidate in a very long time.”
Ramey’s strengthened resolve came from what he said he viewed as weaknesses on the part of the opposing party’s candidate, citing inconsistencies in Harris’s foreign policies and backtracking in her support for both Gaza and Israel. Ramey also said the debate moderators seemed to favor Harris.
“Donald Trump stood strong against difficult moderators that appeared to cater to Vice President Harris and challenge him at every front,” Ramey said.
Despite supporting opposing candidates, Ramey and Dotson are united in their belief that young people need to become involved in the upcoming election.
“The importance of young voters coming out in the upcoming election can not be understated,” Ramey said. “However, young men and women must understand that being educated on the policies and the candidate they choose is more important than just casting a vote. The policies and ideals we vote into office will have a profound influence on our future.”
Students will have ample time to become educated on this election’s big issues before the polls open in November. One of the most important steps young people can take leading up to election day is ensuring they are registered to vote.
“Our generation will be running this country someday, and it’s important that we get involved now so that we can help it become the sort of country we want to live in,” Dotson said. “Our voices matter. The earlier we become politically active, the more experienced leaders we will have tomorrow. So please do your research, register, and vote.”
