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topicnews · October 23, 2024

Auburn College Republicans vs. College Democrats Debate

Auburn College Republicans vs. College Democrats Debate

On October 22, Auburn College Republicans and Democrats faced off in a debate at the Ralph Draughon Brown Library. Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, the partisan clubs represented their respective parties, discussed pressing national issues and explained why their ideologies offer the best solutions.

The debate’s two moderators were Jonathan Parten, a junior majoring in agricultural business and economics, and Joshua Deutschendorf, a senior in pre-med.

The College Democrats were represented by Ian Gun, a second-year student studying law and justice, and Thomas Williams, a second-year student studying political science.

President Luke Troutman, a junior majoring in geospatial and environmental information technology, and Madeline Baer, ​​a sophomore political science student, represented the College Republicans.

Both parties agreed on their shared desire for growth and prosperity for America, but emphasized their different approaches to achieving those goals.

“Both [parties] On this stage I would like to see something similar for America. We want GDP to grow. We want Americans to be able to afford food and housing,” said Williams, the College Democrats representative. “But the key difference is the different way we want to get there.”

In their opening remarks, the College Democrats said they would discuss the economy, budget and immigration.

Williams also criticized how the Republican Party wants to introduce sweeping tax laws and impose high tariffs on foreign nations, negatively impacting the underclass and triggering a global trade war. Concluding his opening remarks, Williams called the election of presidential candidate Kamala Harris “critical” on the economy, immigration and human rights.

In their opening statement, the College Republicans reiterated the Democrats’ view of shared goals, but with different methods.

“[The parties] We want similar things for this country, but we have different means of achieving them,” said Troutman, the College Republican representative. “We believe our party has the more effective and proven methods to achieve these goals.”

Republicans said they would discuss immigration, the energy crisis, housing issues, health care and education.

Moderators Parten and Deutschendorf asked both parties five prepared questions that allowed for timed answers and rebuttals.

The first question asked how each party thought the next government should approach natural disaster relief, citing recent hurricanes Helene and Milton, and whether they thought the current government had done enough.

Democrats say the United States must address the core problem of global warming instead of focusing on government funding.

“[Global climate change and warming] causes several changes in what we understand as the world’s natural climate,” Williams said. “And that causes deeper problems like multiple climate crises per year that our government can’t necessarily handle.”

Gun also mentioned that the current Biden administration is doing everything in its power to provide natural disaster relief within budget.

Republicans say the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a U.S. agency designed to assist citizens affected by natural disasters, has already spent more than half of its $47.6 billion 2024 budget.

Baer, ​​a Florida native, mentions that FEMA was supposed to send $750 checks to those affected, but did not do so successfully. Still, Baer says those checks won’t be enough to help her “completely underwater” hometown this fall.

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The next prepared question was about how policymakers will protect the middle class from inflation.

Republicans first appeal to economic principles and personal experience. Baer says statistics show that wealthy individuals spend less money when they have less money, and this lack of spending will lead to less money in the service industry, which negatively impacts the underclass.

Troutman argues that most Auburn students have already experienced inflation from rising prices at Tiger Dining and on- and off-campus housing.

Democrats argue that the economy is doing “good” and Harris will improve it. The economy’s target inflation rate is 2%, and the current economy has an inflation rate of 2.4%, which has not been 3% for over a year. Harris also plans to provide three million new homes for America’s middle class and give small businesses a $50,000 tax deduction.

Troutman mentions that giving small businesses fifty thousand dollar tax deductions is unlikely.

The fourth question was about the government’s role in conflicts in the Middle East.

Republicans agree that Israel is a U.S. ally and the U.S. must continue to provide them with resources. You mentioned the October 7 attack in which 1,200 Jews were killed. Baer claimed that this attack was the deadliest act against Jews since the Holocaust.

Baer also says Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan was “probably one of the greatest military failures in all of American military history.”

Democrats argued that while Israel is a U.S. ally surrounded by threats, the U.S. needs to be careful in its dealings. Williams argues that aid to Ukraine is more about the supply of old military equipment than money. In Israel, Williams says Republican policies are “giving Israel a blank check.”

The fifth and final question asked each party’s opinion on whether there is a realistic path to national compromise on abortion or whether abortion will be unclear.

Democrats argued that the United States must have a national vision of what abortion should be and that abortion should be protected by the First Amendment. Williams explained that the First Amendment affirms that the government must not use religion in its decision-making, and Gun said judges have often cited the Bible as a reason for Roe v. Wade led.

Republicans argue that overturning Roe v. Wade did not create a federal ban on abortion and that the government needs to support women, not kill more babies. As the only woman on stage, Baer argues that the baby is a human being in its own right and that less than 1% of abortions are due to rape or incest. 87% of women who have abortions are single, poor and do not have a college degree, so Baer argues that the government must support these women.

After the moderators answered their final question, they gave the floor to the audience for a question and answer. Three students addressed the parties to ask questions about the energy crisis, the current restrictions on a woman’s body related to pregnancy and the possible extreme budget deficits of the presidential administration.

In the College Republicans’ final statement, Troutman distinguishes a vote for Trump from a vote for Harris using the analogy of a sinking boat with holes in it.

“A vote for Donald Trump is a plug in the hole, so we can start scooping it up [water] upstairs,” Troutman said. “A vote for Kamala Harris puts another hole in the boat in the hope that it will solve your problem.”

In the College Democrats’ final statement, Gun connects Harris with viewers. He argues that Harris is middle class and attended a historically African-American university, making her more like your average college student than Donald Trump.

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