Presidential debate inspires some in Massachusetts, leaves others disappointed
BOSTON - For the first time, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met face-to-face in a presidential debate. But where did voters in Massachusetts land after the 90-minute debate came to an end?
Advice from debate director
"It solidified it for me," said Boston College junior Cate Decoteau, who said she has finally made her mind up about who to vote for, a statement from Harris sealing the deal. "She was a gun owner. A big issue is how one-sided people are. And I thought that was great, she put in there, 'I'm a Democrat but I own a gun.' People like me anyway, more in-between, that was a green flag for me.
But the debate itself was not as impressive for some. Boston College Director of Debate John Katsulas has been teaching debate at the school for 40 years.
"Trump, I would give a D- and Harris I would give an A-," said Katsulas, who questioned if the meeting even deserves the debate title. "It's not a good example of a debate because neither one of them really answered a lot of the questions."
Katsulas offered his own advice to the candidates, should there be another debate before Election Day.
"Have organized presentation. Clear, cogent points that are backed up by facts and evidence," said Katsulas. "She at least cited evidence, he's basically citing websites. 'Oh, there's a website that they were eating dogs and cats.'"
Different conclusions from both parties
Despite criticism, the Massachusetts Republican Party was pleased with Trump's performance and blamed the moderators for missteps.
"He was fact-checked multiple times, whereas I didn't see any fact checks coming from Vice President Harris," said Mass GOP spokesperson Logan Trupiano.
In a statement, the Massachusetts State Democratic Party said Harris won and is confident she'll win in November.
"...it is abundantly clear that Vice President Harris is the right choice for America. She laid out an expertly crafted plan for how she and Tim Walz will fight for a new way forward," said Steve Kerrigan, the chairman of the Massachusetts State Democratic Party in a statement.