“This is (Not) a Debate” Brings UVA Democrats and Republicans Together Ahead of Midterms

As Virginia’s November midterm elections approach, the Civil Discourse Initiative (“CDI”) hosted an amicable panel featuring College Republicans President Aiden Shirkey and University Democrats President Semony Shah. 

CDI President Henry Brown moderated the panel and began by asking panelists what they believe Americans are thinking given President Trump’s approval ratings compared with former President Biden’s, and asked each panelist to interpret the data. 

Shirkey began by asserting that public opinion has “always been changing.” He cited that: “In recent history, Biden [had] similar levels of favorability to Trump now,” comparing it to his polling in the 2022 midterm season when he was “unpopular.”  Shah’s interpretation was that “the numbers answer for [themselves].” She said the president’s “extremist policies and abuse of power have raised the cost of living for working families,” ultimately resulting in a “public rejection” of the administration.