Why we follow political debates: information vs. entertainment

As November approaches, so does the upcoming presidential election. It seems that every news outlet is exploiting every last moment of this election cycle, citing every gaffe and making catchy headlines. Recently there was a political event where over 67 million people tuned in; the presidential debate between candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

Televised presidential debates date back to 1960, when the first debate took place between U.S. presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.

Debates are designed to inform voters, give candidates an opportunity to explain their policies, and respectfully debate their competitors. But over the last 60 years it seems that debates almost never serve this purpose.

“We have never had a country where people watch presidential debates to learn about political issues,” said BHS senior Elisandra Moulitsas. “Since the Reagan era, presidential debates have been decided and who won based on sentiment.” It seems that it has become a widespread idea that voters watch debates for entertainment rather than information.

While politics has always been a contentious topic, recently there seems to be an even clearer divide between the two political parties and their candidates. Instead of a debate full of information and explanations, recent debates have focused more on candidates seemingly deflecting answers and “subtly” insulting their opposition. This was particularly relevant in the Harris-Trump debate as well as the Biden-Trump debate in June; be it calling the opposing political party “those people” or insinuating that their opposition is a disgrace. According to Freshman BHS Speech and Debate team member Jaren Gaines, that’s exactly what makes modern debates fun.

“Candidates use more logic and less evidence. And evidence debates are honestly kind of boring,” Gaines said. “Logic debates are very interesting, especially because they show you people’s arguments. A lot of candidates joke around and you really get a glimpse into what a person actually does. Evidence debates are much more accurate, but really boring.”

While it may seem like watching debates for entertainment is an everyday thing in the Bay Area, it’s important to note that this isn’t the reality in many places across the United States. Voters who live in more politically divided places or who are unsure about who to vote for are more likely to watch the debates to get information and get to know the candidates better than to entertain themselves. It’s a symptom of the Berkeley bubble that students and voters alike watch the debates for entertainment – because they already know who they’re voting for.

“People, particularly in Berkeley, are very well informed about the candidates’ views,” Gaines said. “It’s gotten to the point where locals go into a presidential debate already knowing what’s going to happen, especially if it’s ridiculous.”

Nevertheless, interest in following debates for entertainment is also likely to be fueled by social media’s involvement in politics. Aside from news outlets, social media platforms and their users are now absorbing every moment of every debate. In particular, memes or trending slogans emerge about things candidates say or do. For some, it almost feels like the debates are a place to make fun of the candidates and post about them online. Especially if the opposing candidate is someone they don’t like at all.

“The debates have now completely turned into publicity stunts,” said BHS junior Maya Babij-Ross. “The debates are so entertaining because of the polarization, and people find it entertaining when both sides don’t know what they’re talking about.”

Determined voters have no real obligation to watch the debates. But it may be human nature to find fault with candidates or politicians, in an almost self-righteous way. As does the fact that laughing at these angry and defensive debates helps distract people from the fact that a new president and vice president will be sworn in in January and everything could change.