The cloudy sky that met me this morning symbolizes the darkness and disappointment that the nation was left with following yesterday’s debate. The performance by both candidates leaves me in a state of worry, a state of angst, a state of fear. But the most outstanding emotion is embarrassment. After watching yesterday’s debate, I felt embarrassed. Embarrassed by the candidates behavior, embarrassed by the lack of civility on that stage, embarrassed that this is what American politics has come to. 

128 and 13 are two figures that stand out to me. 128 is the number of times President Donald Trump interrupted Vice President Joe Biden and moderator Chris Wallace. 13 is the number of false claims made by the candidates recorded by the Associated Press.

In an event created to inform the American people, child-like behaviors and falsehoods took control over the conversation. The result, rather than discussions on important policies, is the birth of trending hashtags such as #shutupman and #standbackstandy. 

If you feel the ground rumble, it is our founding fathers rolling in their graves. We bare no semblance to the nation built once built on the grounds of democracy, unity, and peace. The nation that once conducted the first peaceful transfer of power is lost. Reflected in this debate is the shell of a once well respected country. 

When the first televised presidential debate aired in 1960, its purpose, as explained by the Constitution Center, was to give “potential voters their first chance to see actual presidential candidates in a live environment, as potential leaders.” From what I witnessed last night, I see no potential in either man to be a leader. All I saw was an embarrassment to the people of America.