The 2024 election will be the first time many UM students vote for a president. In a typical election year, the presidential debates would be an important moment for both candidates to present their policy plans and give voters a sense of who they align with most. Yet, this year, there is only one debate. Making matters worse, this debate seemed more like an argument than a professional and civil discussion on our country’s most critical issues.
Presidential debates are integral to the American political process, but in the past decade, when many college-age students began watching debates, viewers have seen unprecedented behavior. The increased use of name-calling and insulting the opposing candidate has made the debates seem reckless and confusing, not information for voters.
For example, Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden’s first debate in 2020 was flooded with interruptions and verbal attacks from both candidates. This made it extremely difficult for moderator Chris Wallace to keep the discussion under control. The unpleasant free-for-all in insulting exchanges sent a terrible image to voters, especially those around our age who hadn’t watched many debates at this scale. The top leaders of our country are unable to debate respectfully.
“These debates are becoming more of a spectacle than a professional proceeding,” said junior Sidney Cocimano, a computer science and interactive media major. “I feel that especially with the rise in social media, there are now so many eyes on the candidates, and it is almost a matter of who can entertain the (TV) audience.”
Insults were also a major part of the 2016 Former President Trump and Former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton presidential debates. Most notably, Clinton’s attack on Trump’s ability to manage the legal system led to Trump’s “You’d be in jail” comment. These remarks would foster an environment where insults are appropriate in presidential debates. This example demonstrated the start of these debates devolving into heated battles between candidates.
Another simple, yet significant, part of the debate is the long-standing tradition of shaking the opponent’s hand before the debate. The handshake is meant to promote peace and solidarity between the two candidates. In times of political tension, this refusal to shake hands may only breed more hatred and division in American politics.
“The handshake, as a greeting, is thought to have been evolved to indicate willingness to start an exchange peaceably,” said Olivia Waxman, a writer for Time magazine.
Candidates not shaking each other’s hands can make voters feel they have bad temperaments and are unfit to deal with key issues. These candidates are expected to set a positive tone for Americans, and this behavior would only hurt relationships with undecided voters.
During the second presidential debate between Clinton and Trump, instead of shaking his hand, Clinton gave a simple nod and “hello.”
The transition to a new debate style continued when Biden and Trump debated on June 27, 2024. This was the first debate with no audience since 1960 because Biden wanted a debate without any disturbances such as the audience interrupting with cheers or boos.
Most people who watched this presidential debate felt unchanged in their political alignment with Biden and Trump, showing how presidential debates may not even be changing people’s minds. These debates are supposed to help voters determine who they see as best fit to run the country, not confuse them even more.
The presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump was a slight improvement due to both candidates’ marginal increase in respect for one another through a cordial handshake. However, it still included difficult moments to watch. Instead of answering some of the ABC moderators’ questions, both candidates focused on other issues and gave surface-level answers to clear questions.
“She was strongest when she was focused on Trump, and she was weakest when she was trying to sell her own proposals,” said Chuck Todd, a chief political analyst for NBC News.
If Harris was at her best when attacking another opponent, it shows that her debate strategy was focused on rattling and insulting Trump rather than speaking on policy issues that matter to the American people.
The Harris/Trump debate did give Americans some optimism. The candidates shook hands for the first time since the Trump/Clinton debate. Also, the rule system established for this debate can be a guidance for future debates to keep candidates in check and promote fairness.
Harris attacked Trump’s sensitive areas by stating audience members leave his rallies “out of exhaustion and boredom.” Trump countered, saying that people do not even attend Harris’ rallies. He added: “The people that do go, she’s busing them in and paying them to be there.”
Harris also deflected questions about the Biden-Harris administration on Trump. Although many agree her tactic of attacking Trump on sensitive topics worked, it still left uncertainty over some of her policy decisions.
Furthermore, the Senator J.D. Vance and Governor Tim Walz Vice Presidential debate on Oct. 1 brought a more positive view of the future of the debates, as BBC claimed it was “the most civil debate of the 2024 election campaign.”
The decline of professionalism in presidential debates began with the Trump/Clinton 2016 election debates. The resentment between both candidates led to a hostile environment where insults became the norm and set somewhat of a precedent debates have followed for the last eight years. But if opposing parties or candidates do not respect each other, how can there be hope for bipartisanship when the country needs to make important decisions and changes?
Presidential debates have lost their footing and professionalism. While they may be improving, the lack of civility among the candidates will only hurt how undecided voters feel towards presidential debates and undermine their legitimacy. Each party must begin respecting each other’s opinions and putting the country’s best interests ahead of partisan politics. That begins with proper debate etiquette and displaying calm demeanor to the rest of the country when arguing over issues.