Summary: In the article "The Vice Presidential Debate May Not Move The Dial, But It Is Worth Your Time", author Emily Tate argues that the American public should be watching the vice presidential debate, even if it will do little to nothing to sway the votes of Americans. Historically, vice presidential debates have never drastically shifted the tides of a presidential election. Even after Lloyd Bentsen's famous jab at Dan Quayle in the 1988 vice presidential debate, Bush and Quayle still managed to come out on top. Tate asserts that the vice presidential debate should be watched because it allows Americans to see who could potentially be assisting in leading this country. Also, there is only one vice presidential debate, so this is the public's one opportunity to get a feel for the candidates before one of them ends up being elected. Yet, most people will predictably skip this debate. This past presidential debate was the most watched in American history because the public likes to watch Trump. Without Trump, says Tate, the vice presidential debate will be very overlooked.
Connection: The VP that wins this election will be the second most important member of the executive branch, and second in line to the presidency. That person will also be in charge of the Senate, being able to cast a tie-breaking vote, as outlined in Article 1, Section 3, Clause 4 of the U.S. Constitution. Whoever is elected in November, will be playing a large role in our government for the next four years, whether we watch them debate or not.
Questions:
What steps can candidates or the media take to possibly garner more attention toward the vice presidential debate?
Since there has been low interest in these debates throughout their history, should they no longer be held?
Can vice presidential debates really sway votes?
Although there has been very little interest in the vice presidential debates in the past, and will most likely continue to be viewed less than the presidential debates, that doesn't mean that they should no longer be held. Just as Tate states in her article, these debates "will be the only time voters have the opportunity to see a face-off between the two men who could, under certain circumstances, become the leader of the country." If we discontinue to vice presidential debates, the public will have no more opportunities to see how their potential leader acts and what their personal interests/beliefs are. I think that one way that interest in the vice presidential debates could increase is if it were more publicized than it currently is.
ReplyDeleteI agree, the vice presidential debates may not be as exciting as the presidential debates without Trump stirring up emotion, but that does not mean that they should be cut all together. They still add value to the campaign because in theory, they could have an effect on the outcome of the November elections. Vice presidents must be taken seriously because there is a chance they could end up in charge if anything were to happen to their running mate in office. The main reason this debate is important is to make sure that the candidate is a worthy runner up. If either candidate says something wrong, that should hurt their presidential partner, and thus have at least a minimal effect on who the public casts their vote for, deeming the VP debates still necessary for the voting process.
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ReplyDeleteI love the reference to the Article & Section of the Constitution!
ReplyDeleteThe fact that vice presidential debate is viewed by fewer voters is to be expected, however, the candidates and media should certainly do more to promote them as they provide Americans with a deeper understanding of the nominee's politics. After all, Vice Presidents often go on to be presidential nominees later in their careers, making it important to follow their actions. More voters would view the vice presidential debate if it were simply talked about more by the media. This would also make it more influential on the outcome of the election.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kate in saying how the voters should be educated in not just the presidential candidate but their vice president as well. The lack of viewers these debates get opposed to presidential debates should not determine whether or not they're still relevant. Even though the vice president does not necessarily influence the voters, it is crucial to know what their views on certain issues are and whether or not it lines up with the president and or the viewers.
DeleteI agree with Taylor and Kate because voters definitely need to be informed about not only presidents but vice presidents. Especially in the recent election, Trump's vice president needed to get support in order to help Trump win and although vice presidents don't necessarily influence voters, it is definitely important to know a vice president's stance on many of the key topics within politics.
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ReplyDeleteWhile it is less likely that VP debates will sway voters, they help to reassure already decided voters. Presidential candidates rely on their VP's to compensate for their areas of weakness, and if you are unconfident in your presidential candidates, say, for their hotheadedness, seeing a calmer VP could help to lock in a vote. Going along with the first couple of questions as well, due to the low interest in these VP debates, its fairly unlikely that they sway votes, as the popular trend it that no one really cares too much.
ReplyDeleteVice presidential debates have historically had little to no impact on elections, and receive far less attention than presidential debates, but that does not mean they should be eliminated. These debates highlight the balance and cooperation between the presidential candidates and their running mates. They also give voters who are still undecided or unsure of who they will vote for more insight into the nominees and their plans. Vice presidential debates should be more important to voters since they have to vote on the whole ticket, not just the president.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Siobhan, the vice presidential debates should continue to occur, despite the lack of attention they receive. It is important for the public to gain some way of seeing the candidates policies and how they are as public figures. I believe the presidential candidates themselves must urge the public to participate in viewing the vice presidential elections through their own media to help generate more interest. Yet ultimately there will always be less viewers for vice presidential debates than presidential debates.
DeleteGathering from past events, vice presidential candidates rarely garner enough interest to have a large number of viewers for the debate because of a lack of media interest. Most of the emphasis is placed on the presidential debates, and the vice presidents tend to reaffirm their candidate's stance on issues and provide the same perspective towards issues.
ReplyDeleteI agree that media is much heavily geared toward presidential candidates rather than vice presidential candidates. However, I think the debates between the vice presidents is important because they show another side of each presidential candidates platform. For example, Pence shows a more calm and collected attitude when it comes t the debate, but also calls into question the differences of stances between Trump and Pence and to what extent they are cooperating. Meanwhile, Kaine expresses more of an aggressive side for Hillary as Hillary receives most of the aggression in the presidential debates.
DeleteDespite the fact that the vice presidential debate has had, and will most likely continue to have, little to no effect on the outcome of the presidential election as whole, it should still be held. The vice president is the second most important individual in the executive branch and these candidates should have the ability to share what their thoughts and ideas are whether they sway votes are not. The whole point of this debate is not a matter of swaying votes so much as it is another opportunity to educate viewers one last time about what each candidate stands for and to clarify with supporters that whoever they are planning on voting for is the candidate they truly stand behind.
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