Voters in Michigan have low expectations for the Biden-Trump debate
What do Generation Z voters expect from the first Biden-Trump debate in 2024?
Ahead of the first presidential debate between Biden and Trump, USA TODAY spoke to young voters about what they expect from the candidates.
While many voters in Michigan lament the possibility of a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in the fall, their enthusiasm for the upcoming presidential debate between the likely candidates of the two major political parties this week is hardly greater.
“I will probably watch the debates reluctantly, not because I expect to learn anything new about the candidates’ positions, but mainly because I think it will be like a train wreck or a car crash that you won’t be able to take your eyes off,” said Gerard Gilboe of Oakland County in an email.
The Free Press asked if Michigan voters would participate in the debate and received a flood of emails from voters sharing their plans as part of an ongoing collaboration ahead of the 2024 election.
While some have already kept Thursday evening free to watch Biden and Trump once again vie for their support, others have no intention of deviating from their usual plans.
“I play poker almost every Thursday night, so chances are I won’t watch it, but I’ll certainly read about it,” said Norm Miller of Oakland County.
Some expressed frustration with the modern format of presidential debates, arguing that it does little to inform voters.
“In my personal opinion, they resemble infomercials, full of dramatic rhetoric and twisted facts to convince observers to vote for them. Debates are, as the cliche goes, ‘all hot air and no steak.’ I honestly believe that a candidate’s past actions speak louder than words,” said Adam Wiese of Ingham County, who added that he plans to use nonpartisan sources of information to do his own research for this election.
Michael Koltuniak of Wayne County also doesn’t expect anything new from the debate and therefore doesn’t plan to watch it. “They’re just repeating what we’ve already heard,” he said.
But just having the candidates on stage and answering questions live is an important exercise, some Michigan voters said.
“I want to watch the candidates in an environment without props, screaming fans and slogans,” said Suzanne Lewis of Wayne County. Jeff Tate – another Wayne County voter – echoed that sentiment, saying the debate allows voters to hear directly from the candidates without the need for a teleprompter or assistant to help them or tune in.
The debate will take place without a live audience and the candidates’ microphones will be muted after they have finished speaking.
Votes from Michigan voters: Michigan residents are critical in this election. We’re monitoring voters in these 8 counties.
Will that give Biden or Trump a chance to win over voters who tune in? Some Michigan voters who shared their thoughts with the Free Press doubt there are many voters who are undecided at this point. Oakland County’s Bob Gutowski said, “If someone doesn’t know the difference between the Bizarro Trump and Biden, they must be living under the moon.”
While the debate won’t affect the preferences of the majority of voters, it could impact a group of voters that could decide the election, said Deepa Ramaswamy of Wayne County. “Given that this election is being decided by a small number of voters in a small number of key states, I think the debate is important and could help sway the decisions of those key voters one way or the other,” she said.
Michigan is one of several states that could see a neck-and-neck race in the fall. In 2016, Trump won the state by 10,704 votes, or 0.3 percentage points – the narrowest margin of any state – giving Michigan a Republican presidential candidate for the first time since 1988. In 2020, Biden defeated Trump by over 154,000 votes, or 2.78 percentage points.
Top politicians from both major political parties argue that the path to the White House leads through Michigan.
Contact Clara Hendrickson at [email protected] or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @clarajanehen.
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