If many voters in Michigan are complaining about a rematch between Joe Biden And Donald Trump This fall, they aren’t showing much more enthusiasm for the upcoming presidential debate this week between the presumptive nominees of the two major political parties.
“I will watch the debates with reluctance, I think, not because I expect to learn anything new about the candidates’ positions, but mainly because I think it will be like a train wreck or a car crash that you can’t get away from can watch. Gerard Gilboe of Oakland County said in an email.
The Free Press wanted to know if Michigan voters will tune in to the debate and receive a flood of emails from those sharing their plans as part of an ongoing collaboration ahead of the 2024 election.
While some blocked their calendars on Thursday evening to see Biden and Trump compete for their support again, others have no intention of deviating from their other plans.
“I play poker almost every week on Thursday evenings – so chances are I won’t watch it – but I will definitely read about it,” says Norm Miller of Oakland County.
Some expressed frustrations with the modern presidential debate format, arguing that it does little to inform voters.
“My personal opinion is that they are similar to infomercials, which are full of dramatic rhetoric and skewed facts to convince observers to vote for them. Debates are ‘all sizzle and no steak’, as the cliché goes. I honestly think a candidate’s past actions speak louder than words,” said Adam Wiese of Ingham County, who added he plans to look to nonpartisan sources of information to do his own research this election.
Michael Koltuniak of Wayne County also doesn’t expect to learn anything new from the debate, and so he said he doesn’t plan to watch it. “They’re just repeating what we’ve already heard,” he said.
But just having the candidates answer questions live on the debate stage is an important exercise, some Michigan voters said.
“I want to observe the candidates in an environment free of props, screaming fans and slogans,” said Suzanne Lewis of Wayne County. Jeff Tate — another Wayne County voter — echoed the sentiment, saying the debate allows voters to hear directly from candidates without the help or intervention of a teleprompter or assistant.
The debate will take place without a live audience and the candidates’ microphones will be muted when their turn ends.
Michigan Voters: Michiganders are crucial in this election. We are watching the voters in these eight provinces.
Will that give Biden or Trump a chance to win over any voters who turn out? Some Michigan voters who shared their thoughts with the Free Press doubt there are many undecided voters at this point. Bob Gutowski of Oakland County said, “If someone doesn’t know the difference between outlandish Trump and Biden, he or she must be living under a rock.”
But while the debate won’t affect the preferences of a majority of voters, it could impact a group of voters who could decide the election, said Deepa Ramaswamy of Wayne County. “Given that this election will be decided by a small number of voters in a small number of key states… I think the debate is important and can help influence the decisions of those key voters one way or another,” she said.
Michigan is one of many states that could be decisive this fall. In 2016, Trump won the state by a margin of 10,704 votes, or 0.3 percentage points — the smallest of any state — and delivered Michigan as the Republican Party’s presidential candidate for the first time since 1988. In 2020, Biden defeated Trump by more than 154,000 votes, or 2.78. percentage points.
Leaders of both major political parties have argued that the road to the White House runs through Michigan.
Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @clarajanehen.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan voters have low expectations for Biden-Trump debate
