Texas State University may cancel its planned presidential debate on September 16. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have refused to participate in any debates organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), which may ban all college campuses from hosting debates in 2024.
The debate on campus on September 16 will be the first presidential debate to be held in Texas, a state that has been at the forefront of political debates on issues such as abortion rights and marijuana laws, a state that only a year ago tried to ban polling places on college campuses with HB2390, and a state where at least 50 students have been arrested on college campuses for pro-Palestinian protests.
The decision could limit voter outreach, reduce electoral engagement among Texas State University students and disrupt planned educational opportunities.
CPD is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has hosted the presidential and vice presidential debates every four years since 1988, and is specifically dedicated to ensuring that such debates are held and reach the broadest television, radio and streaming audiences.”
The newly planned debates will take place on June 27 on CNN in Atlanta and on September 10 on ABC News in New York, but the CNN debate will only stream on the CNN network, and the ABC debate will only stream on the ABC network and Hulu.
Restricting broadcasting limits access, goes against CPD's mission to reach the widest audience possible, and weakens the debate's overall impact. It targets viewers who already get their news from these networks, excluding a large portion of the U.S. public who rely on other sources of information, as well as students who may not have access to cable network channels.
According to the Media Bias Chart, CNN and ABC are left-leaning. Hosting the debate on a network that is perceived to be left-leaning could undermine confidence in the fairness and impartiality of the debate and skew public perception, favoring one political position over another.
Hosting a debate at Texas State University could be a great educational opportunity for students, and the university has begun planning how to use the presidential debate as an academic opportunity.
Texas State University offered 12 courses to “examine historical and contemporary themes and topics” related to campaigns and strategic communications. These courses, three for the summer semester and nine for the fall semester, were in the Mass Communication, Political Science (POSI), and Political Science (PS) catalogs. These courses could, but do not need to, adapt to the changes surrounding the presidential debates. Incorporating the presidential debates could be beneficial for students.
The decision to cancel the debate at Texas State University will not only impact students, but faculty as well. Many professors at Texas State have worked together to bring a healthy forum for debate to the school, and their efforts are being taken for granted as the event may be canceled.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Americans ages 18-29 were the lowest voter turnout in the 2020 presidential election, despite being the largest potential voting group in the country. Students need to see the democratic process up close because it will motivate them to participate in the presidential election and believe that their vote matters. Debates should be held on campuses because it allows for an immersive educational experience that connects young people with the candidates they vote for.
Presidential candidates must find alternative ways and platforms to appeal to Texans struggling with issues like gun violence, abortion rights and the border crisis. If they want to persuade disaffected voters who are suspected of refraining from voting in November's election, candidates must focus on speaking to the issues that concern many Texans.
It would be a great disappointment if debate were to be eliminated at Texas State University. It could be a new opportunity for student organizations, university officials and student media, and we should not take that away from us.
“Main Points” are opinions written by The University Star's editorial board. Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of our publication as a whole.
