After concluding the respective Republican and Democratic conventions, the electorate looks to September 10th for the first presidential debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris. Taking place on the eve of the sorrowful 23rd anniversary of 9/11, these candidates should agree to a debate format worthy of the great nation they seek to represent.
Unlike the Biden-Trump debate on June 27th, the upcoming Trump-Harris debate should challenge the candidates at every turn, pushing them to showcase why they are the cream of the crop. In Philadelphia, the ABC moderators should be permitted to act as prosecutors and turn the debate stage into a courtroom.
As the candidates take to the podium those vying for the Oval Office should be under the same level of scrutiny as if they were talking at a witness stand. In this process, it’s paramount for the moderators to challenge the candidates by asking tough questions, following through by not letting Trump or Harris off the hook with loophole answers.
Detailed and appropriate scrutiny ought to be welcomed as a proving ground by all, not ostracized. Championing this path will make the candidates demonstrate their worthiness in seeking the people’s highest office. In an ideal world, the candidates are on trial in the court of public opinion, and the voters are the jury.
Those vying to become America’s 47th President must be forced to withstand a rigorous debate, backing up all claims with reputable evidence. In a courtroom, if witnesses, experts, and jurors must be sworn in, and subjected to the penalty of perjury, why do we expect any less from our presidential candidates on the debate stage? History shows us the bar of what we expect from our elected officials has drastically weakened over the years, not grown. Accountability, decency, responsibility, and respect all appear to be forgotten norms in the modern age of politics.
A revitalized debate format that directs candidates to be truthful, exhibit gravitas, expand upon free-thinking ideas, and showcase depth, as well as subject mastery, should be sought after by the public. A new debate matrix focusing on these core principles will provide the electorate with a magnet to use as Americans search for the right candidate, streamlining the hunt for the needle in a haystack.
Humbly, Connor Joyce
I am a Gettysburg College student double majoring in IDS Emerging Threats in National Security and Political Science. I am also a double minor in History and Peace & Justice Studies. Working with the Potomac Institute for Public Policy’s International Center for Terrorism Studies, I am an Executive Intern.