editorial
The Great Debate
America’s political scene is tense, the result is a nation divided THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION has turned into one
of the most polarizing election in history. Now, more than ever before, the nation has been divided into two distinct sides, and the results are upsetting the harmony of the country. Instead of voting on a president who represents social, economic and political policy, the election has turned into something equivalent to a sporting match. Spectators, or voters, aggressively advocate for their “team,” party or presidential candidate to win, no matter who or what the candidate supports or represents. Fox News and other media outlets have even set up online betting systems where voters can win prizes based on what outrageous claims, actions or reactions viewers think will be said or done during the presidential and vice presidential debates. Once a display of policy and negotiation, the most recent debates have been reduced to shouting matches between the candidates. Instead of debates serving to inform voters of policies and proposals, thus providing security in voters’ political opinions, they have created chaos, further enraging voters, and dividing the nation even more. As evidenced in the first presidential debate, politics are no longer about right or wrong, moral or immoral, but who has a bigger “wow factor”, who can talk over the other person more, deny the most claims or cover up the bigger scandal. A lack of information due to distracting “wow factors” in the first presidential debate has led to widespread confusion and hesitation amongst first time and undecided voters in their decision of who to vote for, or to vote at all, in this election. Partly to blame for the nation’s extreme division is the presentation of the candidates themselves. Through unfiltered words and actions, both candidates influence the reactions and actions of their supporters. The results isolate moderate and undecided voters and further drive a political wedge into the country. The increasing influence of social media and the press both contribute and benefit from this. Voters constant need for new information means the more wild and outlandish content the press provides, the more views and reactions a media source can generate, resulting in more revenue. Although the presidential election has been wild, chaotic and downright entertaining, by solely capitalizing on the “wow factor” content, media sources are confusing the average voter by blurring what is fundamentally important with what is merely entertainment. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have become a double-edged sword when it comes to informing voters. The platforms not only spread awareness and information but are also home to misinformation, disinformation and hate-driven news. Although widely known as an unreliable news source, social media continues to consume many students’ lives and often serves as their primary mode of information. Students often draw their opinions and viewpoints based on possibly false information and what their peers believe and promote. Social media’s increasing presence in a voter’s daily lives compromises the integrity of the election as many form their opinions and beliefs based on a platform where bias is allowed and encouraged. The combined presence of social media and the hostile political environment has only served to increase voters’ competitive spirit
During the first presidential debate Trump and Biden talk over each other and the mediator, degrading each others past actions and decisions. Photo by Tribune News Service. and narrowing their mindset, solely focusing on their candidate winning rather than voting for the best suited nominee. Instagram accounts such as “Settle for Biden” demonstrate this idea; the account is dedicated to promoting president elect Joe Biden by running on a platform that claims Biden is the right choice by default because Trump is the wrong one. Accounts like these rely less on statistics, proposed policies and promises and more on the opponent’s character, more specifically their faults in character. In response to accounts driven by social rather than political background, both candidates have numerous accounts working to minimize and justify their past actions. These accounts are not only meant to sway undecided voters but rile up committed ones. While every previous presidential race has been high stakes and heated, this one, in particular, has the country divided by extremes. Even worse than first-time voters not understanding the election and making uninformed decisions (or not voting at all), is that first time voters’ first exposure to politics is during a time of such political unrest. Leaders who are supposed to represent democracy, peace and understanding are instead demonstrating childish, contradictory and polarizing behavior, setting up a future of voters with a skewed understanding of what politics should represent. In modern politics, the position of president elect has become less about choosing the best candidate, and instead about a candidate winning for the sake of winning. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, social media and many other inhibitors, voters must overcome numerous obstacles in order to cast their vote knowledgeably. If the country does not take steps to ease the hatred between parties, candidates, decisions and opinions, America will be stuck in another decade of corrupt and disgruntled politics.
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The presidential election has been wild, chaotic and downright entertaining.
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Anvil
15
