Debates Can Shift a Race’s Outcome, but It’s Not Easy

By: Luisa María Arenal Cortés  ID: 140142

Gobiernos y Procesos Políticos de Estados Unidos

The article published by the New York Times on September 30, 2012 titled: "Debates can Shift a Race's Outcome, but It's not Easy" includes some expectations of the author about the debate that it's going to take place on October 5th, it shows examples of past debates and remarks that only twice debates have appeared to shift the election’s outcome, the first one occurred in 1960 between Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard M. Nixon, the second shift occurred in 2000 with the debate between George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore.

This article examines past debates and shows some of the tactics politicians or presidential candidates use in order to get the support and assure the victory in the elections. Establishes that debates are important in order to know how people or voters see both candidates.  

I agree with this article as the media has an important role in many political areas, it is important to know how people see each one of the candidates, and also it is important to know if this vision or image that people has of each candidate benefits or damages its campaigns. Presidential Candidates need to have certain skills in order to create and share a clear speech in the debates also they need to be prepared to answer to different questions or “attacks” that can be done by the other candidate.

Debates can make a difference because they establish the purposes or achievements each of the candidates want to accomplish, they show people their plan of action for the development of the United States; With this information people can make some considerations and analyse, then they will make a decision in order to choose the best candidate and improve every aspect of the country.

As we are talking of the most powerful nation this is not an ordinary debate it had to be taken seriously and American Society needs to pay attention to it because the winner of the presidential election will have a big responsibility, and also will be the representative of the most powerful nation among the other countries. Americans will have in their hands an important decision they have to analyse and pay attention to every statement candidates will make in the  debates, so they can choose the president that best suits or will improve the country.

We can notice that presidential candidates use all that it is in their hands to generate a change and win points, they can use different tactics such as: criticizing or humiliating opponents, show of its different abilities, etc. Candidates that have used all these tactics have done a difference between being far away or being so close to a victory as the author mentioned in its article. Now American Society has to be ready to listen to the candidates and really study each one of its statements in order to take a better decision, debates are an important tool that can help to know the abilities or preparation each candidate has. The media and the people of the United States are ready to listen to their candidates and its proposals.

These debates are the opportunity to get support and chance the image or the perspective people has of Mitt Romney and Obama, generating a change on these perspectives is not that easy, it’s hard work but candidates should be ready.