By Connor Currier/ New Mexico News Port
With the country less than one year away from the 2024 presidential election, New Mexico and its local communities have to decide who they are going to vote for.
Director, Master of Public Policy Program at the University of New Mexico. Photo Courtesy from the University of New Mexico Faculty & Staff Homepage
Michael S. Rocca, an associate professor of political science at UNM, said ordinary people can get good value from presidential debates, especially if undecided.
“People should tune in If they are genuinely undecided. I would make the pitch that if you are undecided, debates are a great way for you to figure out the temperament, the personality, how articulate candidates are, and the general positions and the specific positions that they hold on important issues,” Rocca said.
The third Republican presidential primary debate occurred on Wednesday, Nov. 8, in Miami, Florida.
Sante Fe County Republican Party Chairman Robert Witsenhausen believes local communities should always pay attention to presidential debates.
“Presidential debates in general can be looked at as one of the most important parts of our democracy because if you look at our American history, a majority of presidents got elected by how they represented themselves and got their message across to the people,” Witsenhousen said.
Republican Congresswoman Gail Armstrong, representing District 49 in New Mexico’s Legislature, said that she believes presidential debates are important but will not affect how New Mexico votes.
“Even though Donald Trump is the front runner of the Republican party, I do think having presidential debates gives the people an opportunity to see the landscape of other candidates in our party. But, I don’t believe the debates will not have an effect on how New Mexico voters vote,” Armstrong said.
Getting a perspective from local New Mexicans provides a glimpse into the intersection of regional identity and national politics. The ripples of national politics can very much reverberate far beyond the halls of Capitol Hill and reach into the very fabric of local communities.
Angelica Martinez, a sophomore and political science student at the University of New Mexico, shared her thoughts on the importance of having presidential debates.
“Even though I’m not paying attention to what’s going on in the 2023 Republican Presidential Debates, I think debates can distinguish candidates from one another so the voters will have the best options to choose from,” Martinez said.
