Open Book: Doing Backflips
New Candidate, New Energy In Presidential Politics
By Anya Nitczynski
For the GPHN
In the days leading up to the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, my friends and I assembled a short list of predictions about the much-anticipated evening in my phone’s notes app.
The last prediction I jotted down was at 6:59 p.m., moments before the candidates took the stage: “Trump does backflip when they introduce him.” I saw it happening in my mind’s eye, clear as day. I felt like the Oracle of Delphi. I felt like Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos.
To my dismay, it became clear to me within the first few minutes of the debate that no candidate or moderator would be doing gymnastics.
The overall takeaways from the night amongst my peers were relatively tame. It was a good sign and stark contrast from the high-wire emotions that came out of the first presidential debate, when the race looked entirely different. Regardless, a few key moments stuck out enough to my peers for discussion in the following days.
One thing we all seemed to dislike were parts of the groundwork rules and premises of the debate. The lack of an audience and the moderators’ ability to mute microphones isn’t new, but it managed to bother me for most of the evening. It feels reminiscent of an elementary school punishment – our presidential candidates (who will have access to Top Secret information, the Big Red Button, and the Oval office) aren’t mature enough to handle the way debates have been held in the past? They’ve lost their privileges to a normal microphone and an audience because they are incapable of controlling themselves?
Another hot topic of conversation was simply having a new candidate at the podium. Seeing the same faces every four years over and over again is exhausting. Even when they are technically different faces, they tend to fall in the same demographic categories of race, age, and gender as the faces we’ve heard from every election cycle.
Beyond political affiliation, it was absolutely refreshing to see a new, younger person at the debate. I don’t think people my age realized just how much of a disconnect we felt between us and executive politics until someone under 75 was brought into the mix. And, I don’t think women my age realized just how much of a disconnect we felt between us and executive politics until a female was brought into the mix. Harris proved she could hold her own, and she looked chic while doing it.
While the race itself is tight and plenty can happen between now and Election Day, a barrier has been broken and a sense of normal is slowly returning. I have faith in our political system. I am optimistic that the future of politics will be less divisive — and more relatable.
Anya Nitczynski is a senior at Denver School of the Arts. Her column appears regularly in these pages.