Representatives from both parties in Ector County still have confidence in their preferred candidates.
ODESSA, Texas — The 2024 presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump sparked its own debate over which candidate performed better.
Ector County’s Democratic and Republican representatives each had their own thoughts on the situation.
Joanna Keith, representing the Ector County Democratic Party, said Biden seemed tired after four years of leading the country and wondered if that might have thrown him off kilter.
“At first I thought he was sick and his voice was hoarse so I really wanted him to have some cough drops or water,” Keith said. “I definitely got the impression he was sick, but I don’t know if that was from over-preparing or actually being out and about.”
Jaime Mendoza is chairman of the Ector County Republican Party’s 310th District. Like other Republicans, he praised Trump’s performance.
“Very good, I think so. Trump did a very good job,” Mendoza said. “He was very controlled, he was very disciplined. I don’t think he was provoked by any of the questions or any of the comments. So I think he did a really good job.”
Each candidate had their flaws.
Mendoza said one problem with Trump is that he sometimes repeats parts of his own statements.
“I think I just repeated myself on some items, and I think I could have explained a little bit more on others, but that’s OK,” Mendoza said. “I think for the most part I did a good job on that.”
Meanwhile, Keith felt Biden lacked the “cool factor” he had when he faced off against Trump in their first debate in 2020.
“He didn’t have the punch that people expected,” Reese said. “We were disappointed in that respect because we wanted to see an Uncle Joe kind of style. We wanted a guy who would say, ‘Shut up, won’t you?'”
But both candidates had moments where they played to their strengths.
Democrats have praised Biden for doing his best to stick to the facts while not veering off the issue.
“I know he made a statement that, ‘I may not speak as well as I used to, but I always speak the facts,'” Keith said. “So if you focus on the substance and the facts and don’t worry about the style, I think you’ll find this was a better debate than it’s been given credit for.”
Republicans believe Trump kept a cool head and made the right points.
“I think his strengths are being disciplined and calm,” Mendoza said, “and speaking clearly on all issues: immigration, legal immigration, border security, the economy.”
After the debate, both sides could agree that their confidence in their candidate was unwavering.
Mendoza argues that Republicans have seen increased voter interest among many groups after the debate.
“He’s growing among black voters, he’s growing among Hispanic voters, he’s growing among women voters. He’s growing across all walks of life, across all states,” Mendoza said. “So I think he’s doing very well and I think a lot of people are very happy with him.”
But Democrats like Reese believe Biden still best represents the Democratic Party.
“As Democrats, we don’t need a debate to know what our core values are and who represents those values to us, and of course that’s Joe Biden,” Keith said.
