Abby McFarren
As we all know, the 2020 campaign season began approximately on Nov. 9, 2016. I know it can frequently feel as though we are inundated with news about polls, issues, rallies and speeches. However, being informed and actively engaged helps us maintain and improve our democracy. One easy way to gain a clear understanding of candidates’ positions is through the viewing of debates. While currently only the Democratic candidates are debating, there is still a lot to learn about issues and topics on which the election will be focusing. But do not fear, there are ways to make your debate watch party more interesting.
My first piece of advice is finding people to watch it with. If you are not already super interested in the debate, then watching it on your own may not be super engaging. So get some friends together and use it as a time to hang out. Snacks are also a great thing to help keep you interested. Pop some popcorn, get a pint (or two) of ice cream from the C-Store and get ready for a long talk.
Another way to stay engaged is to create a bingo sheet for the debate. Print out a blank bingo sheet — which a quick Google search can help you find — and then fill in the boxes with different things you think may happen during the debate. They can range in seriousness and type. Some examples include “Medicare for All is said five times,” “Kamala Harris gives ‘the look,’” “Cory Booker looks scared,” “Gun control is discussed,” “Someone speaks Spanish,” “Elizabeth Warren has a plan for that,’’ “Someone says Yang Gang 2020,” etc. Get your debate watching crew to join in too! You could even have a competition to see who gets bingo first or who fills in the most squares (personally I crossed off all but three squares during the last debate).
Additionally, ranking the candidates with your friends can also be a fun way to get conversation started. You can rank candidates based on your opinions about the candidates’ policies or other things, such as experience, coolness and “bang-ability.” For example, one ranking of the candidates in term bang-ability is (1) Tulsi Gabbard, (2) Kamala Harris, (3) Julián Castro, (4) Cory Booker, (5) Pete Buttigieg, (6) Beto O’Rourke, (7) Elizabeth Warren, (8) Andrew Yang, (9) Amy Klobuchar, (10) Joe Biden, (11) Tom Steyer, (12) Bernie Sanders. Any type of conversation that you can start about the candidates with your friends is an important one because being unaware is one of the worst mistakes we can make as citizens of a democracy.