Austin Marsman: What I saw at the Democratic debates

by Austin Marsman

It’s true, I was one of the people to receive tickets for the Democratic Presidential debates in Detroit last week. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

Free tickets also came with free lodging. One of my good friends, Andrew, opened his home to me and showed a Detroit newcomer some of the local landmarks – and places to eat. I loaded up on all the great Detroit food, which included a few Coney dogs.

We are about eight months away from the Democratic primary in Michigan and even farther from the general election, where the nominee will be on the ballot. However, time had no effect on the excitement in Detroit. Like I said earlier, I had tickets. I was at the historic Fox Theatre for both nights as 20 candidates in total made their case for why they should be the one to top the Democratic ticket.

Night One – Battle of the Progressives and Moderates

On stage: Steve Bullock, Pete Buttigieg, John Delaney, John Hickenlooper, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O’Rourke, Tim Ryan, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Marianne Williamson

I arrived around 3 p.m., knowing that seating was first come, first serve. The doors didn’t open until 5 p.m. However, there was shade from the nearby buildings. We were comfortable.

A variety of celebrities walked by on their way into the Fox Theatre. This included national and international news reporters, local political heavyweights, as well as presidential candidates. Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper walked by our unsuspecting line and South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg ran across the street from the press area. Both candidates had staff rushing them along, stopping for a few obligatory selfies along the way.

I was in line next to a woman from Detroit who supported Joe Biden and a close friend of Beto O’Rourke, the former Congressman from Texas. It was interesting to hear their stories.

Once the doors opened and check-in was completed, I walked into the theater and was immediately struck by how ornate it was. Seriously – if you’ve never been to the Fox, add it to your list of places to see in Detroit.

With three hours until showtime, I took my seat with a few friends from the Michigan Federation of College Democrats and familiar faces from throughout West Michigan.

The pre-debate show featured a performance by a choir from Flint. They delivered a stirring rendition of “America the Beautiful” and the National Anthem as a local color guard presented the colors.

Much of the conversation for night one was about how far left the party should be. Pete Buttigieg tied it up well by stating:

“If it’s true that if we embrace a far-left agenda they’re going to say we’re a bunch of crazy socialists. If we embrace a conservative agenda, you know what they’re going to do? They’re going to say we’re a bunch of crazy socialists. So let’s just stand up for the right policy, go out there, and defend it.”

I agree with Buttigieg on this. Oftentimes, the party is worried about optics, rather than standing up for what is the right thing to do. As I listened to the candidates, I knew one line from Elizabeth Warren would stand out. The progressive senator from Massachusetts wouldn’t stand for fellow candidate John Delaney calling her ideas unrealistic. Warren said:

“I don’t understand why anybody goes to all the trouble of running for president of the United States just to talk about what we really can’t do and shouldn’t fight for.”

My friend Lily Schulting and I stayed late talking with friends and meeting Congresswoman Rashida Talib as well as Presidential Candidate Beto O’Rourke. We were the last ones out of the building.

Night Two – Attack, attack, attack

On stage: Michael Bennet, Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Julian Castro, Bill de Blasio, Tulsi Gabbard, Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Jay Inslee, Andrew Yang

I returned to stand in line at the Fox around 2:30 and immediately noticed tighter security. Former Vice President Joe Biden was taking the stage tonight and the security was precautionary. However, the security outside couldn’t protect him from the candidates on stage.

New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was one of those to attack Biden’s opposition to a decades-old tax credit for working mothers and fathers. Jay Inslee also joined in. He said that the former vice president’s climate plan doesn’t move the U.S. from fossil fuels fast enough.

There were two instances of protest throughout the Fox Theatre. The first was a protester shouting “I can’t breathe” and “Fire Panteleo.” The second was coordinated by people with Movimento Cosecha, a group promoting immigrant rights.

Something that the television cameras probably couldn’t capture was the incredible diversity of the audience. There were people of all faiths, abilities, genders, races, sexual orientation, and walks of life. It was remarkable to see an audience that resembled our state – and the nation.

In summary, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, Cory Booker, and all stood out with notable moments. It was a memorable experience to hear the future leaders of our country debate the issues of our era in the Motor City. In times like this, it is important to pay attention to the candidates and the issues they speak to.

We can no longer brush off their solutions as “socialist” or “impossible ideas.” We are the country that built an interstate highway system and sent a man to the moon. We have public schools, libraries, police officers, firefighters and national parks.

President Donald Trump won Michigan by 10,704 votes in 2016 and it’s safe to say Michigan will be a battleground state. Many eyes will be on our state.

I’m looking for the candidate who can bring realistic ideas and proven leadership, I am looking for the person who is presidential.  I haven’t made my final choice for the primary, yet I know one thing: we must vote in 2020. Every voice matters.

Austin Marsman is a Grand Valley State University student residing in Martin. Marsman is also an occasional contributor to TownBroadcast.com.