Last week I attended my first senate debate right here at UConn in Jorgensen Theater. The debate was between Democrat Chris Murphy and Republican Linda McMahon. Neither candidate impressed me because they both avoided answering certain questions and chose to instead maliciously attack each other rather than talking about the issues. It seemed when I was forming an opinion about which candidate to vote for I was deciding which candidate I hated least. What really annoyed me about the debate was that in each candidates’ closing remarks they each talked about how terrible the other candidate was, rather than talking about what they could really do for the state of Connecticut. I never realized how frustrating politics can be, and I definitely saw the ugly side of politics in this debate and also in television ads.
The presidential race is also a hot button issue in the country today. While I do know who I am voting for, I make the decision not to post it all over Facebook. I do think it is important to vote, but I find it very annoying that people post ignorant views all over Facebook. One of my Facebook friends (of whom I deleted) went as far as to post a status that he was deleting any friend who liked a presidential candidate on Facebook. Even though you may despise a candidate, you need to listen to the other side of the debate and take in what their point of view is. I have had plenty of debates with my friends at the dining hall over dinner and things may get heated, but I always listen to what the other person is saying and try to understand where they are coming from. While you can side with one political party, what is tearing this country apart is attacking the other party’s views and not even listening to them.
Compromise is going to save this country. In George Washington’s Farewell Address, he warned Americans that political parties would tear this country apart. I have a feeling George was on to something. Sometimes the best ideas don’t come from one party or the other, but rather a combination of the two ideas.
Yes, this election season has aggravated me, but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t vote even though neither candidate shares 100% of my views. It is important to make sure your voice and opinion is accounted for. It really frustrates me when my peers my age tell me that they aren’t registered to vote, or are registered and are not voting. So get out there and vote!