ASHLAND — The First Presidential Debate hosted by CNN drew viewers from across the state and political candidates to Ashland Thursday night with the help of a local radio host.
Stephanie Bell, co-host of “Wake Up Mid-Missouri” on KSSZ KWOS, has announced what she describes as the state’s largest debate watch party at Lakeside Ashland, an outdoor entertainment venue.
“I am a big debate watcher personally; I love presidential debates,” Bell said. “I think being educated on the issues is really important and educated about the candidates. When they scheduled the first debate, I thought, ‘Why not throw a big debate watch party?’
Several candidates for Missouri’s 3rd Congressional District attended the event.
Bob Onder and Kurt Schaefer both posted photos on X after attending the event.
Great night for a debate watch party in Ashland. MO! MAGA! #MO03 pic.twitter.com/0nwaprOHpB
— Dr. Bob Onder (@BobOnderMO) June 28, 2024
In all seriousness, it was great to be out with #TeamSchaefer tonight to witness President Trump’s landslide victory in the debate, and even better to meet and reconnect with so many patriots. Let’s Make Congress Work Again, and Make America Great Again! pic.twitter.com/kmFPOJIw3p
— Kurt U. Schaefer (@KurtUSchaefer) June 28, 2024
Peverill Squire, a professor at the University of Missouri and longtime debate watcher, is likely to watch the debate from home, but he shared insights about its potential impact on voters.
“For the vast majority of Americans, they probably already know which candidate they are likely to vote for and whether or not they will turn out to vote at all,” Squire said. “Most voters won’t be swayed, but enough of them could be to make a difference.”
A Quinnipiac poll found 84% of people would not be swayed by the candidates’ performances in the debate. One veteran at the watch party in Ashland fell into that category.
“I came out to see what was going on between these two,” Navy veteran Tom Schoening said. “You ain’t convincing me not to vote for Trump.”
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As the debate draws closer, Bell said she’s felt a heightened sense of importance surrounding the event.
“When the debate was first announced, there were questions about how much these debates really matter,” she said. “But as it’s gotten closer, everyone agrees this debate is of significant importance. The attendance we’re expecting reflects how important everyone feels the debate is for the presidential race.”
Squire said he has some ideas about the candidates’ strategies.
“Biden wants to show he is in command of the facts,” Squire said. “He has been gaffe-prone throughout his life, so he will try to avoid too many of those instances. For Trump, his concern is to decide whether he wants to be an attack dog as in other debates or appear somewhat presidential.”
The unique circumstances of this debate are unique, Squire said.
“This is an extraordinary situation with one candidate convicted of felonies and still the major party nominee,” he said. “That will be something many Missourians will be interested to see how each candidate handles. We just don’t know what to expect. It’s in a different setting than normal, with no audience and limited microphone use. It may seem like a sterile environment, and it’s unclear how that will play out for either candidate.”
As for the watch party at Lakeside Ashland, Bell called it a bipartisan event.
“A lot of our local candidates will be in attendance” she said. “We’ve told people it’s a bipartisan event, so we have Republicans, Democrats, Independents — everyone is invited to come out and watch the debate with us.”
In addition to local candidates, Bell said some statewide campaigns are expected to attend.
“It’s a chance to get one-on-one face time with some of these candidates (and) learn more about local and statewide groups working on issues, as well as the candidates,” Bell said.