Pros And Cons Of Watch Parties

I have always seen the American democratic process as something serious, from the news programs that commentate on possible candidates or the debates that determine who will run for office. The presidential debates are one of these political processes with the highest importance, because the politicians who are apart of the debates all have the possibility of becoming our nations next president. I never heard of watching a presidential debate being made into a social event, this intrigued me to attend the campus progressive alliances’ democratic debate watch party. By attending this debate watch party I was able to observe how other citizens react to these important debates, and how they interact with each other. This debate watch party was
For this reason I could understand why this debate and others like it brought so many people together to a watch party. As each candidate began to introduce themselves I noticed that most everyone there was not even remotely interested in what any candidates had to say, with Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders being the only exceptions. Governor Lincoln Chafee was first to introduce himself and as soon as he began to talk I noticed a few people turn to another television that had a baseball game on, most people began to look at their phones, while I noticed some small groups of people talking to each other. This trend continued as Senator Jim Webb, and Governor Martin O’Malley gave their introductions. It was not until the commentator said Senator Bernie Sanders name that almost everyone who was not paying attention focused directly to the televisions playing the debate. Around 90 percent of the people watching, including myself, were clapping during and after Senator Sanders’ introduction. I observed some people hooting and hollering, “That’s right!” “Yeah!” I also noticed that many of these same people who were so enthusiastic were also wearing buttons, or clothing that showed their support for Bernie Sanders. The last candidate to introduce themselves was Senator
I was able to learn a lot about how other people viewed politics, and a new form of partying. A type of party that helps people gather with their peers and discuss crucial social issues all while having a good time. By observing and engaging in conversations with my fellow peers at the debate watch party, I was able to educate myself on others political views and why they supported a particular candidate. This experience also showed me that politics which are usually not seen as “boring” or “serious” can be turned into an exciting and fun atmosphere. Social gatherings do not have to be based around music, dancing, sports, or alcohol; they can be meaningful like this debate watch