First Presidential Debacle
Biden vs. Trump-CNN Presidential Debate, June 27, 2024. I had pretty low expectations going into the first debate, but decided to invite my 20 something year old daughters over to the house to watch. My intention as a parent was to try to instill a sense of civic duty and introduce them to the candidates and issues they would need to understand, before voting in November. To my knowledge, this was the first live, full length Presidential debate my daughters ever watched. About half-way through, my youngest daughter asked me, if “candidates are always so disrespectful toward one another?” The debate was quickly becoming a national embarrassment. My reply was that “there was a time in America, when political opponents were dignified, respectful to each other, and addressed important issues with thoughtful responses that provided detailed policy answers.” As we continued to watch, I thought to myself; “How can the United States be the leader of the free world and model such political discourse? Are these two men the best that each political party can produce? Why do American citizens have such low expectations for our leaders?”
President Biden could not articulate his thoughts very well or effectively defend his accomplishments. Former President Trump bullied and avoided answering important questions directly. The debate reached a low when they started talking about their physical health relative to their golf games. As a political independent, I always try to look at events and politics objectively. My personal thoughts are that one man is past his prime and will not make it through another term. The other has weakened our democracy and the justice system, by questioning the validity of the last election.
This coming November, my daughters and other Americans deserve so much more than having to vote for the “lesser of two evils.” For a discerning American citizen, neither candidate should be an acceptable option. Our nation must produce better political candidates and it has never been more evident that massive systemic political reform from the ground up is needed. Congressional term limits, Supreme Court accountability, balanced budgets, and third party competition are all places to start. Democracy has always been a great experiment and is dependent upon the character and quality of our citizens and leaders. As Benjamin Franklin so wisely warned in 1787, “you have a Republic…….if you can keep it.”