Summary Exercise – Katie Dickens
Wake Forest University student responses to the sixth Republican debate ranged from questioning the entire debate structure in general to realizing the need for focusing on the future success of the party by supporting candidates other than Donald Trump.
Kelly Dugan, a sophomore from Huntersville, NC, was one of many students who believed the debate structure was disappointing. She said she wished the GOP Republican debate of last night had centered more on asking and answering important national questions rather than pitting candidates such as Ted Cruz and Donald Trump against each other on personal issues.
“While competition is good, so is humility and ownership of action,” Dugan said.
Catherine O’Connor, a Wake Forest freshman from England voiced a similar opinion.
“The candidates were not entertained by the moderators questions and were pinned against each other when they would have rather talked about the issues,” O’Connor said.
Lindsay Graham, a junior mathematical economics major at Wake Forest University said she thought the debate appeared to be an unsettling fight between all of the candidates.
She said that during the debate she found herself questioning the debate’s significance.
“It’s really uncomfortable to watch a cage match,” Graham said.
Other students thought that the debate shone a light on lesser-known candidates that had a better chance for success against Hillary Clinton.
Though described by national media outlets such as The Washington Post as a strong contender for third place, some Wake Forest students thought candidate Marco Rubio was a clear standout and strong presence onstage.
Emilie Wache, a junior psychology major, said that her “die-hard” favorite candidate Rubio presented a strong alternative to the controversial favorite Donald Trump.
Emily Lair, a sophomore from Chanute, Kansas also thought Marco Rubio dominated the stage. “Rubio handles the questions very directly, I think that is extremely appealing to voters,” Lair said.
Leave a Reply