Political clubs report “high energy” at presidential debate watch parties

Over 67 million viewers Across the country tuned in to watch former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris go head-to-head during their first presidential debate September 10th. Tufts was no exception: several student organizations hosted debate watch parties, where student turnout was high.

According to the Tufts Democrats, attendance at their watch party was small the highest of all events in the club’s history, with over 400 students present.

“People were very excited and [expressive]“It made me feel great about putting the event together because people were super engaged, and that was the goal,” Zach Zinman, President of the Tufts Democrats, said. “The goal since the beginning of this year has been very simple: [to] Getting students involved in politics.”

Zinman, a in the second year, highlighted how student engagement during the wake party cultivated a sense of community among participants.

“It is important to use this time. When we were in that room and heard the laughter and gasps…people were really interested in the debate. I found that really inspiring and I know it definitely made us like that [executive] “The board feels great about holding the event,” Zinman said.

Zinman praised Harris for her ability perform under pressure And Communicate your position on issues such as abortion access.

“I think Harris won the debate hands down, and she did better than anyone in a debate against Trump.” Zinman said. “She pushed back against the lies that he was telling and she made her arguments very succinctly and I think she made them forcefully.”

Tufts JumboVote Co-chair Seona mascaraa junior, shared her experience hosting a debate watch party.

“I would say the energy was great. … You could tell people were really excited to see it.” said Maskara. “Every time the debate stopped for 20 seconds you could hear it [someone saying] ‘Oh no, what was she supposed to say?'”

mascara expressed how events such as debate watch parties can help facilitate discussions between people from different political backgrounds.

“Politics is so polarized right now that it’s important to just connect with other people.” mascara said. “Even if you’re watching the debate with someone you disagree with politically, they might be able to raise a good point, something you never thought of. … These debate watching parties are forums for intellectual discussion.”

The Tufts Republicans didn’t have a wake party, as the debate took place during the flag-raising ceremony to commemorate 9/11. However, senior Ethan Putlack, President of the Tufts Republicans, said he then watched some of the coverage.

“From what I’ve seen, I think Kamala overperformed and Trump underperformed, although I think the moderators skewed this debate so heavily toward Kamala that the results worked in their favor.” Putlack wrote in an electronic message to the daily newspaper. “Both candidates know what they have to do and say to win, so it will be a very close race.” he wrote. “But Trump is too easily distracted right now and needs to focus more on politics because I think he will win as long as politics is at the forefront of the political discussion.”

Tufts Professor of PPolitical Science Brian Schaffner shared his key takeaways from the debate.

“I think the most striking thing about this debate was observing Harris’ strategy of essentially distancing herself from the incumbent administration and instead running against Trump’s presidency as if she were the challenger.” Schaffner wrote in a statement the daily. “You could see that in the language she used to say she wanted to go forward, not back, and also in her various attacks on Trump during his term as president.”

Schaffner also explained that presidential debates have historically played a “modest role in shaping opinion” because voters are typically clear about who they will support before the debate. However, according to Schaffner, the September 10 debate presented a more unique circumstance: Given that Harris had entered the race less than two months earlier after President Joe Biden decided to do so withdraw.

“In this way, the Harris-Trump debate was unique because Harris had only recently been named the Democratic Party nominee, so it was a real opportunity for Americans to get to know her a little better.”“Schaffner wrote.

The The Tufts Democrats plan to host another watch party on October 1 for the upcoming vice presidential debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz. The Tufts Republicans and Tufts Democrats also work with the non-partisan political discussion group Collaboration and Innovation in Citizenship (CIVIC) to coordinate a debate between the two groups before election day.