Now, if you have opened about any form of social media within the past week, you’ve probably encountered a meme or two about a recent debate our nation faced. And no, it wasn’t a debate with comedians- though at times it did seem like this- or a debate about whether or not Bronny should’ve been drafted to the Lakers. But instead- it was a debate with none other than our very own presidential candidates. This debate not only highlighted the weaknesses of our presidential candidate, but also the weaknesses of our democracy. America is going down a narrow, uneven path to democracy that seems to have a dead end. How can our generation pave a new, more smoother road? What can our next course of action be? How can we ensure that our nation upholds its standards when participating in an election where no two options seem to fit? To find the answers to today’s political environment, we must first identify the price of the 2024 election.
Though neither candidate is the official nominee yet, we see clear support from each party with two main candidates; Joe Biden for the Democrats and Donald Trump for the Republicans. Thursday night, a slow start to the debate created a weak stance for the incumbent party. Republicans, on the other hand, got the very media image of Biden that they wanted.. Safe to say, June 27th's presidential debate only made certain one thing- both options are indeed too old. To be clear, no, I’m not being ageist- but instead, I am simply pushing for progress. The price of this election is not only in the future of such important issues like Abortion, Climate Change, International Diplomacy, LGBTQ rights, or even Immigration; but also in the progress of our nation's image as a whole. We can all agree that no matter what party you’re from- if one gets to an age past 70, a new generation must come in. Frankly, it happens in almost every industry you can think of. Take for example the sports industry; when a sports team’s players reach the age of 35 or 40, they let a new team- fresh with younger people- take the field. These new players step into the field eager and ready to fill in the shoes of their mentors, or their elders. This simple cycle of change is exactly what our democracy is missing.
With two politicians who have been in the game for way too long, our nation has no image of progress. Yes, the democratic party might push for progressive ideals- but in all honesty, what is progress if we aren’t allowing more younger voices to be represented in our government? The logical explanation is that if most of society is under the age of 70, then why is a 70+ year old leading our country? This debate not only showcased how our candidates are too old but also the hostility of polarization the media has created with these two candidates. Not only 24 hours had gone by before thousands of memes and TikTok had been uploaded onto social media mocking, potentially, our next president. The price of this election is more seemingly clear, which option allows our country to be less polarized? Though at the moment, a decrease in polarization seems quite impossible, this decrease is pivotal for our democracy to continue. The polarization we see of our candidates increases the need for change in nominations. This change is not only because the time has come, but also because of the future society the country has with either nomination.
Election after election, the country has come together in the hopes of creating a better, more progressive society- but what is a country to do if their election seems to promise the exact opposite of that? On June 27, no voter was impressed by the presidential debate.. No voter was impressed by Biden. No voter was surprised by Trump. But which voter will be able to continue to believe in our future? Which voter will; enlist trust in a government which doesn’t represent their voice? Which voter would even bother voting if our nation’s two choices don’t seem to be worth it? That is the price of this election. To yearn for change is one thing, but to act on that change is another. As a nation, we pride our society in its ability to progress, but at this very moment- none of that pride seems to be waving high. To create that smother road, our genreation must push for the best candidates- whoever that may be. The ones who are capable of serving us, the ones aligned with the public’s values, and finally but perhaps most importantly- the ones who can debate to make our nation proud.
Works Cited
“3 Key Moments from CNN’s Biden-Trump Debate.” PBS News, 27 June 2024, www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/3-key-moments-from-cnns-biden-trump-debate.
“4 Takeaways from the First Presidential Debate.” NPR, 28 June 2024, www.npr.org/2024/06/28/g-s1-6953/presidential-debate-analysis-trump-biden.
Blake, Aaron. “Analysis | 5 Takeaways from the First Trump-Biden 2024 Debate.” Washington Post, 28 June 2024, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/27/presidential-debate-takeaways/. Accessed 3 July 2024.
Zeleny, Kaitlan Collins, Kasie Hunt, Phil Mattingly, Abby Phillip, Fredreka Schouten, Jeff. “Instant Analysis of the Presidential Debate with CNN Experts | CNN Politics.” CNN, www.cnn.com/election/2024/analysis-commentary-cnn-debate. Accessed 3 July 2024.
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