Historic presidential debate leaves students wondering about the future

“Tonight, all they did was remember the past, but I didn’t hear anything about the future.”

Last night was tense for the students and historic for the country. On Thursday, June 27, Hoyas and students from the Institutes of Politics at University of Chicago AND Harvard gathered in McCourt Schoolis new Capitol Campus to watch one of the most anticipated presidential debates in history.

Before the debate entitled Brendan Buck, former advisor to Speaker Paul Ryan and Spring 2022 Fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics and executive director of GU Politics I’m Elleithee set the stage by discussing potential strategies, what was at stake for the candidates, and what might make headlines the next day. The students were eager to speak on the topics they wanted to hear and excitedly talked about the politics of the evening.

Minutes after the debate began, the enthusiastic energy in the room faded into a muted murmur as students clutched their seats, waiting for what came next. Regardless of political orientation, the room was full of a generation that wanted the candidates to say something about their future, a generation that was looking for hope that things could get better in politics.

During commercial breaks, Elleithee and Buck asked students how the candidates made them feel and whether their attitudes toward any of them had changed. Voice by voice chimed in, commenting on how each candidate’s demeanor, rhythm, and credibility influenced them more than the principles they were discussing.

“I think Biden talked a lot and made sense but didn’t make any sense, and Trump talked nonsense but made a lot of sense,” one student said.

They put themselves in the shoes of various disappointed voters, wondering how, at this point, it was appropriate to engage with those who felt alienated from the ballot box, and whether that was actually the case.

“I don’t think Biden will lose the election today,” another student suggested. “I think he spoke well about his abortion policy and that will resonate with women voters.”

After the debate, Buck and Elleithee talked to the students about what had happened and where the parties were headed. The students considered what they thought each candidate did well, what each person’s weaknesses were, and how they felt as voters and as people.

We would like to thank our Hoyas and friends from other campuses for coming to this critical evening and contributing to civil political discourse about our democracy. In an election year like no other, we are inspired by students who continue to show up to talk to people they may disagree with, are passionate about public service, and are committed to improving policy for the future.