Vice Presidential debates are an inherent part of U.S. democracy since they help voters understand the policies of candidates and learn about the potential presidents’ learning mates and their proposals. This year’s event took place at The University of Utah and featured incumbent Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Kamala Harris, who discussed a variety of topics and presented their opinions on them. The debate only reinforced my belief the Democratic candidate, Harris, was the right option for the country since her approach to the COVID pandemic, economy, and education better reflected the needs of society.
The most topical issue discussed during the debate was the current pandemic and the candidates’ policies on countering this problem. The responses of both politicians were quite similar, yet Harris mentioned an extremely important detail that Biden’s government would provide free vaccination for every citizen of the country and introduce contact tracing. According to the recent polls, 58% of Americans are now ready to get a COVID-19 vaccine, which perfectly aligns with the Democratic nominee’s proposition to make it accessible for everyone (Reinhart). Moreover, Pence referenced the strategy of Trump’s administration to address the pandemic as their achievement when, in reality, it failed to prevent the rising death toll, which shows that there is a demand for changes.
Another important topic of discussion raised by the moderator concerned the economic policies which will be pursued by the administrations of Biden and Trump. The candidates presented their perspectives, which varied in their approach and ultimately benefited different segments of society. Pence insisted that the tax cuts introduced during Trump’s first term were a success and expressed his intention to keep it. Yet, according to economists, the tax cuts in question generally did not produce any significant results in investment and growth (Baker). On the other hand, the initiatives voiced by Harris aim at solving issues which are especially topical for people with limited incomes. She mentioned that the Biden administration would collect more taxes from the wealthy to finance government programs to support the most vulnerable in society.
An essential theme that was spoken about by Harris but omitted by Pence was education and the ways to make it more affordable. The Democratic candidate openly stated that her president’s administration would guarantee an opportunity for everyone to study at a community college for free. Moreover, people whose families’ annual income will not exceed $125,000 will also be eligible for free education at public universities. This reflects the general public’s opinions on this topic, which can be inferred from the recent poll, which demonstrated that 63% support the idea of making public colleges tuition-free (Hartig). This is especially relevant in the current situation when the student-debt crisis has reached a considerable level of urgency.
Conclusion
The vice-presidential debate of 2020 highlighted the fact that Camila Harris and Joe Biden were a better choice for American society because they expressed their determination to focus on domestic issues. Harris clearly outlined a strategy of overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic, which involved carrying out contact tracking and free vaccination for everyone, and the current statistics show that people are generally willing to get it. The Democratic candidates also promised to raise taxes for the rich, which will bring additional resources for supporting those who need help from the government. Moreover, Harris announced the long-awaited initiative concerning free college, which is approved by the majority of the American public.
Works Cited
Baker, Dean. “The Great Failure of Donald Trump’s Big Tax Cut.” CEPR, 2020. Web.
Hartig, Hannah. “Democrats Overwhelmingly Favor Free College Tuition, While Republicans are Divided by Age, Education.” Pew Research Center, 2020.
Reinhart, RJ. “More Americans Now Willing to Get COVID-19 Vaccine.” GALLUP, 2020.