Presidential candidates ignore policies in final debate

Live screening of debate in Fireside Hall raises questions, concerns regarding issues

By Dylan Collier, Advocate Staff

Community Organizing and Political Action club President Alex Griffin Walker, Inter-Club Council (ICC) Chairperson Jose Arebalo and Treasurer Raquel Garcia organized a presidential debate viewing and pizza party in the Fireside Hall on Oct. 19, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The club provided Little Caesars pizza and soft drinks for the 150 people in attendance, with an adjacent table to register students to vote.

This was the third and final debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump this election season.

Although there was political diversity among the students and community members watching the debate, most attendees said they felt like their minds were made up on whom they are voting for.

“I felt like there weren’t enough policies discussed, but more ‘name bashing,’ and they needed to get into details and talk more about policies,” undecided major Donald Dominguez said.

Dominguez said that watching this third debate didn’t change or strengthen his decision of who he’s going to vote for, and how he feels about each candidate stayed the same.

Dominguez was there for the people he felt a sense of unity with everyone in one place coming together to watch the debate. 

During the debate Trump said, “The wealthiest individuals are going to expand their companies.” 

If it was interpreted for it’s literal meaning, Trump could have plans to build more Trump Towers, making himself richer, but not creating “higher paying jobs for the working and middle classes.”     

Psychology major Dema Aldabass said she liked what Clinton had to say about the economy more than Trump, because she actually made sense.

She thought that Trump didn’t really get into specifics and was vague.

“Watching the debate strengthened my decision of who I’m voting for, because I realized how redundant Trump was in his speaking,” Aldabass said.

Aldabass said she enjoyed watching a woman take control of every part of the debate, and it was good to watch a strong female figure win again.

“Hillary dominated,” Aldabass said.  She said she thought  Trump acted exactly how she thought he’d act with his viewpoints on women.

CCC student Nina Hill, who brought her son with her, said it was nice seeing a lot of young people, students, faculty and alumni come to the event.

She also enjoyed talking to young people about their various views of the two candidates.

In the debate, Clinton claimed if elected, Trump would de-fund Planned Parenthood and Middle College High School counselor Caroline Cruger-Hansen she felt strongly about this topic.

“I don’t support Trump and without Planned Parenthood there would be a lot of unwanted pregnancies,” Cruger-Hansen said.

“As a man, he could never understand what it would be like to have to make that decision.”

Clinton also put Trump on the spot, by accusing him of saying “women should be punished for having abortions.” Cruger-Hansen said that there are a lot of children in the foster care system, so women shouldn’t be punished for making a smart decision, if they can’t support a child.

Many people who viewed the entire debate felt Clinton edged out Trump when discussing the issues.

Aldabass didn’t think the outcome was surprising because she said they asked some of the same questions that they did in the second debate.