By D. Kevin McNeir and Madeline Seck
Special to the AFRO
Just under 100 people gathered in Northwest Washington, D.C., on June 27 to attend a presidential debate watch party at the HQ DC House – the first debate between the candidates since their last showdown on Oct. 22, 2020.
But with former president Trump rolling off more than 36 statements that have since been verified as false, and with President Joe Biden’s often shaky and undisputedly lackluster performance, neither of the two candidates was at their best.
As for those who attended the watch party, their numerous facial and verbal expressions, which ranged from exasperation to utter dismay, suggested that they may have had a better time walking just a few blocks away to take in a Washington Wizards basketball game at Capital One Arena or to enjoy a play at the Shakespeare Theatre Company.
The watch party, sponsored by the Kairos Democracy Project and People For the American Way, attracted a diverse group of voters, with those under 30 and African Americans representing the majority.
As was expected, economic issues dominated the discussion, including the Trump-era 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which will expire in 2026 if it is not extended, and the impact that inflation and the cost of living – which have increased since the latter days of the pandemic – continue to have on more and more American households.
However, the two moderators, CNN anchors and correspondents Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, also pressed Biden and Trump on a host of other topics that remain at the top of many Americans’ concerns: the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, immigration, abortion and health care, particularly for veterans of the armed forces.
The AFRO spoke to attendees at the watch party to learn more about issues they are passionate about and their reactions to the debate.
Seth Washington, 25, a graduate of North Carolina A&T who lives in Waldorf, Maryland, and works on Capitol Hill, said he attended the watch party because he wanted to be around people who, like him, were interested in the discourse between the candidates.
“The key issues for me are the four H’s: homelessness, hunger, higher education and healthcare,” said Washington, a Black man who added that he has voted in every election since he became legally of age.
“The age of both Trump and Biden also concerns me because neither of them is connected to the younger generation,” he said. “Being seasoned and having experience are both commendable qualities but the next president must have his ear to the ground. As for my contemporaries, yes, we’re voting. However, not in the numbers that we should.”
Washington also noted that many of his friends have mixed views about the relevance of their vote given the results of the 2016 presidential election in which Hillary Clinton, despite receiving nearly 2.9 million more popular votes than Donald Trump, lost the race after Trump garnered 304 electoral votes to Clinton’s 227. It marked the fifth time in U.S. history and the second time this century that a presidential candidate has won the White House after losing the popular vote.
Jessica Davis, a city commissioner in DeLand, Florida, brought her 12-year-old daughter with her to the watch party so she could observe the debate and hear the candidates weigh in on the major policies.
“Although she may not be able to vote, I think a lot of the things that relate to education matter to our family,” Davis said. “I’m here to see who will best represent us because the decisions the next president makes will impact all Americans, particularly those who live in the community in which I serve.”
Dawne Trope, an employee with the national nonprofit Community Opportunity Alliance, said after watching the debates at home in 2020, she wanted to be around others who had ideas similar to her own.
“Things that need to happen for Americans are the creation of more affordable housing and more stable jobs and making sure people have adequate income so they can afford the cost of housing and other living expenses,” Trope said. “We also need a health care system that’s accessible to everyone.”
Like Trope, Maite McPherson, 22, a recent graduate of Duke University and a fellow for the House of Representatives, said she wanted to watch the debate in the company of like-minded people so that it would “be fun rather than depressing.”
“I think most Americans have already made up their minds at this point. I don’t believe anyone’s going to be persuaded to vote one way or the other by tonight’s debate,” McPherson said. “I will always vote, and while I think everyone should vote in federal elections, I find it difficult to get people to become more involved in local elections which I think are even more important. As for the presidential election, I can understand why citizens are frustrated and why they don’t believe that either candidate represents their needs or concerns.”
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