Are Sherrill – Ciattarelli Debates a Waste of Time? Experts Clash.
The first major debate in New Jersey’s governor’s race between Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Mikie Sherrill has sparked a bigger question: are these debates even useful anymore? Two top political experts, Democrat Julie Roginsky and Republican Mike DuHaime, have completely different answers.
While discussing the debate, they also clashed on several national issues from President Trump’s UN speech to health controversies.
Julie Roginsky believes the debates are a “massive waste of time.” She argues that almost no undecided voters watch them and the old-fashioned format doesn’t work in today’s world. Mike DuHaime strongly disagrees, calling the debates a necessary “stress-test” that shows how candidates perform under pressure.
Julie found Trump’s speech where he said allies’ countries were “going to hell” to be embarrassing for America. Mike admitted the style was awkward but said the focus on immigration is a winning political issue for Trump.
After Trump admitted he was wrong about the Ukraine war being “easy” to solve, Julie said to watch his actions, not his words. Mike found it surprising for Trump to admit any mistake.
Both experts slammed Trump and his health secretary for claiming Tylenol causes autism. Julie called the unscientific claims “cruel” to mothers, while Mike urged people to trust modern medicine and not internet conspiracies.
With a potential shutdown looming, Julie blames Republicans entirely. Mike agrees they will get the blame, but also faulted Democrats for poor messaging.
When Disney briefly cancelled Jimmy Kimmel’s show, Julie saw it as a free speech win when they reversed the decision. Mike agreed Kimmel has free speech rights, but condemned government threats against the business.
Despite their disagreements on the debate’s value, both experts agree on one thing: the race is a dead heat. Recent polls show Ciattarelli and Sherrill tied at 43%, with 10% of voters still undecided. This sets the stage for a tight race that will likely come down to the wire, making every moment—debates included—critical for the candidates.
