The Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service (GU Politics) hosted a watch party on Sept. 10 for the second presidential debate of this election season.
Prior to the debate and during the commercial breaks, GU Politics Executive Director Mo Elleithee (SFS ’94) and Fall 2024 GU Politics Fellow Rick Wiley gave commentary on the political landscape leading up to the presidential election and shared insights on what debate preparation may include for each campaign. Elleithee drew on his experience as a communications strategist for the Democratic Party, while Wiley discussed his roles as a Republican strategist and former advisor for Republican candidate Nikki Haley’s presidential campaign.
Saniya Bhagwat (SFS ’28) said that the watch party offered students a sense of community while watching the debate.
“I like to be in a community when I’m looking at political things, because politics is about community,” Bhagwat told The Hoya. “And I feel like it’s weird to be watching it alone in my dorm when I should be out there talking to other people about it while it’s happening.”
This debate marked the first face-off between the candidates, Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump. During the event, Elleithee and Wiley answered student questions and led a group discussion about what students are looking for from the candidates.
Elleithee shed light on the core function of a presidential campaign, and said candidates should be trying to achieve mobilization and persuasion with their debate performance.
“I’ve always believed a campaign has only two jobs,” Elleithee said during the event. “There’s only two things every political campaign has to do: persuade people who are still persuadable and mobilize people who are like-minded to do something.”
Menal Qureshi (CAS ’28) said that she was grateful for the commentary the two speakers gave before and during the debate.
“I feel like it’s really important that we have actual speakers come in,” Qureshi told The Hoya. “We all could watch this summer, but having people who are willing to add their input, give insight, is just a big part of the purpose of coming to a school like Georgetown, where we have this ability to be right by the Hill, to be so close to real-world events and get real-world insights.”
Alisha Singh (CAS ’25), the undergraduate co-chair of the GU Politics Student Advisory Board, which provides student perspectives to the leaders of GU Politics, said that the organization’s goal in hosting the watch party was to encourage students to engage in dialogue.
“Fellows say this, professors say this, but we are the future of this country,” Singh told The Hoya. “So it’s important to care about the issues, care about who’s representing us. Most people on this campus are of voting age so it’s definitely important to stay informed about candidates, what their policy platforms are and just stay engaged.”
Qureshi said that the watch party allowed students to engage with and learn from one another while being exposed to values that may oppose theirs.
“Some people will come with firm beliefs, some of them will come with more altered beliefs, but everybody’s willing to have discourse,” Qureshi said. “And I think that’s a sign of democracy. That’s a sign of an intellectual, of someone who’s willing to learn, and that’s what we’re all here doing.”
