Vice Presidential Debate

Vice Presidential Debate

Ricky Nelson

            Last night’s debate revitalized the ever important conflict between conservatives and Liberals, more formally known as Republicans and Democrats and gave people, including high school students, a new subject to talk about.

            Among some of the more prominent topics that were discussed were abortion, foreign policy and economics, things that high school students also have a stake in, and naturally care about.

            The debate also told us more about the candidates, for vice president that is, and what they stand for. North student Brent Windham thought Joe Biden won, or should have won because “Paul Ryan is withholding the truth, and Joe Biden was pointing out all the facts that Ryan neglected to say.”

            Others say that it was a tie, or that Paul Ryan won because he was more stylish (Biden frequently interrupted Ryan) but the official decision given to us courtesy of CNN is that it was a tie.

            North students have passionate opinions regarding some of the issues discussed such as abortion. A couple weeks ago an informal survey was taken which revealed that a majority of those interviewed stood against abortion, which Ryan agreed with, Biden contrasted with.     

            Ryan Hess, another North student, said on the topic of removing troops from Afghanistan, “I don’t think we should be there now.” He is expressing an opinion common to many Americans young and old that the war(s) in the middle east should end or be ending and that American involvement is not necessary, a position advocated by both candidates, but more so by the Obama-Biden campaign.

            The Economy is another heated issue and the two sides sparred off on how to best handle the current crisis, with Ryan supporting a Reagan era “trickle down” economics approach, and Biden advocating a big government more spending approach. North student Tom Indykiewicz said “I think Obama has had his chance with the economy, he failed, it’s time to give Romney a chance.

            This debate has sparked many opposing political debates in many walks of life, including the high school world, and let us not forget that as the generation that will one day take over America, we have just as much a stake in politics as anyone else.