Jared Daniels
For students having trouble figuring out their vote for the upcoming presidential election, the Democratic Debate Watch Party could help.
The viewing for this debate will be held today in the Wyoming Union Senate Chamber in room 221, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m, and is sponsored by the Students for Change organization.
Students for Change President James Fantin said the goal of Students for Change for the debate was “to better educate all students and the community about the democrtic candidates running for office.”
This debate will be the fifth debate for the democratic candidates. The qualifications for this debate include at least four voter polls at 3% or two polls at 5% and contributions from at least one hundred and sixty-five thousand unique donors. So far, only ten candidates have met the criteria and will be speaking at this debate.
“[The debate] will start with healthcare because of its prominence in the platforms of all the candidates,” said University of Wyoming Political Science Professor Jim King.
He said the economy, immigration and the conduct of the office may also be discussed by the ten candidates.
The debate will be an opportunity to learn more about the 2020 Democratic candidates for the presidential election. Current political topics are likely to be addressed at the debate and may be a great opportunity to have a greater understanding of who is running in the coming election.
“I encourage students to pay attention to who the candidates are. I would also encourage students at this point to keep an open mind and listen to everything,” King said.
King said he would like students to use this as a chance to learn about candidates as the participants may drop out later in the race.
“It is important for students to attend the event because students can hear about important political topics such as healthcare, immigration, and the economy straight from the candidates running for office,” said Fantin.
Fantin said this information would help students become better educated on candidates, which would allow them to better decide where their vote may go.
Ten candidates are currently qualified for the upcoming debate. The candidates who have qualified for the event are Joseph Biden, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Tulsi Gabbard, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Tom Steyer, Elizabeth Warren and Andrew Yang.
The event is not only open to students, but will be open to the general public. Fantin said this will be the first year Students for Change has hosted this event as a new organization at UW. RSPVs should be made online if attending the event. This event will supply free pizza and drinks to those attending the viewing of the debate.
