If many Michigan voters bemoan a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump this fall, they don't express much more enthusiasm for the upcoming presidential debate this week between the two major political parties' presumptive nominees.
"I will reluctantly watch the debates, I guess, not because I expect to learn anything new about the positions of the candidates, but mostly because I think it will be like a train wreck or an auto accident that you can't look away from," said Gerard Gilboe, of Oakland County, in an email.
The Free Press wanted to know whether Michigan voters will tune into the debate, receiving a flurry of emails from those sharing their plans as part of an ongoing collaboration leading up to the 2024 election.
While some have blocked off their calendars Thursday night to watch Biden and Trump vie once more for their support, others don't intend to deviate from their other plans.
"I play poker on Thursday night most every week — so the odds are I won't watch it — but I will certainly read about it," said Norm Miller, of Oakland County.
Some expressed frustrations with the modern presidential debate format, arguing it does little to inform voters.
"My personal opinion is that they are similar to infomercials, which are full of dramatic rhetoric and skewed facts, to convince observers to vote for them. Debates are 'all sizzle and no steak' as the cliché goes. I honestly think a candidate's actions in the past speak louder than words," said Adam Wiese, of Ingham County, who added that he plans to look to nonpartisan sources of information to do his own research this election.
Michael Koltuniak, of Wayne County, similarly doesn't expect to learn anything new from the debate, which is why he said he's not planning to watch it. "They simply restate what we have already heard," he said.
But just having the candidates on the debate stage answering questions live is an important exercise, some Michigan voters said.
"I want to observe the candidates in an environment that is free of props, screaming fans and slogans," said Suzanne Lewis, of Wayne County. Jeff Tate — another Wayne County voter — echoed the sentiment, saying the debate allows voters to hear directly from candidates without the assistance or intervention of a teleprompter or aide.
The debate will take place without a live audience and candidates will have their mics muted when their turn speaking concludes.
Michigan voter voices: Michiganders are pivotal this election. We're watching voters in these 8 counties.
Will that give Biden or Trump a chance to win over any voters tuning in? Some Michigan voters who shared their thoughts with the Free Press doubt there remain many voters who haven't made up their minds at this point. Bob Gutowski, of Oakland County, said, "if someone doesn't know the difference between bizarro Trump and Biden, then they must be living under a rock."
But while the debate will not influence the preferences of a majority of voters, it could have an impact on a group of voters who could decide the election, said Deepa Ramaswamy, of Wayne County. "Given that this election will be decided by a small number of voters in a small number of key states … I do think that the debate is important, and could help sway the decisions of those key voters one way or another," she said.
Michigan is one of several toss-up states that could prove decisive this fall. In 2016, Trump won the state by a 10,704-vote or 0.3 percentage point margin — the slimmest of any state — delivering Michigan for a GOP presidential candidate for the first time since 1988. In 2020, Biden defeated Trump by over 154,000 votes or 2.78 percentage points.
Leaders from both major political parties have argued that the road to the White House runs through Michigan.
Contact Clara Hendrickson: chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan voters share plans to tune in, tune out upcoming Biden-Trump presidential debate
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