As the election cycle’s first presidential debate takes place Thursday evening, an important question looms over the Biden-Trump showdown — will the debate have any impact on the election?

Traditionally, presidential hopefuls have used debates as an opportunity to sway undecided voters. Given the familiarity of these candidates and the nation’s high degree of partisanship and political polarization, some pollsters wonder whether there are any such undecided voters left to persuade?

To understand the impact the debate may — or may not — have on the election, the Sun Journal decided to talk to people on street. We asked residents from across the Twin Cities three questions:

• Would they be watching the debate?

• Could the debate change their mind on which candidate to support?

• Who do they expect to win the debate?

While some of our interviewees did not answer every question, all of their responses shed insight on the debate’s importance to the coming election — or lack thereof.

Based on the responses we collected, many Lewiston and Auburn residents have opted-out of watching. Mark Jumper explained he will not be watching because “it will be on the same issues” the candidates brought up four years ago during the previous presidential election. “If Trump and Biden were debating for the first time,” he said, “then I’d make plans to watch it.”

Even those who expressed a desire to watch the debate echoed Jumper’s disappointment that it will feature the same two candidates as four years ago. As Didier Mulumba, 35, bluntly put it: “It’s repetitive.”

Unlike those who think a second Biden-Trump matchup is uninspiring television, Mulumba said he “might watch because it might turn into a comedy.”

“I know it’s going to be funny,” he joked.

While he thinks he may enjoy watching the debate, Mulumba expressed doubt that it will influence his vote.

Asked why he thought the debate won’t change his mind, Mulumba replied “I’m not that old, but that’s what usually happens.”

For Mulumba, humor is not only a reason to tune in. It may determine who wins it.

“Probably Trump (will win it). He’s the funny one,” he said. “Biden might fall asleep.”

Others are also looking forward to watching for its “entertainment value,” according to Darby Kidd, 21.

While Kidd doesn’t plan to vote for either candidate, he joked that he would change his mind “if one of those guys would tell me something that I’d really love to hear” such as the nationwide decriminalization of cannabis. “I’d probably vote for (him) then… whichever one that ends up being.”

Kidd said he wasn’t sure who would win the debate. “It’s like an old man competition,” he said. “Whoever can make it through and not stutter too much, (he’ll) be the winner.”

For Kristen Murry-James, 54, the debate is no laughing matter.

“Well, I think it’s incredibly important” to “know what’s going on,” she said. “We’re on the cusp of something very dire if Biden doesn’t win.”

Although she considers watching the debate a part of her civic duty, Murry-James said it won’t sway her support for Biden.

“I would never vote for Trump. You couldn’t pay me enough money, or say anything that would convince me otherwise,” she said. “He’s evil and he’s dangerous.”

She is also certain Biden will win the debate. “He will be able to string sentences a little bit better than Trump does. Trump tends to speak in sound bites that don’t even make sense,” she complained.

Abby S., 34, also views the presidential debate as a vital part of American democracy.

Explaining her decision to watch the debate, she said she’s noticed “a lot of moments in (previous) debates (were) taken out of context and turned into clips and clickbait.”

For Abby, it’s important that Americans watch the debate “so they get the whole picture. Instead of other people’s opinions on it.”

She is skeptical, however, that the debate will have any influence on her vote. Like Jumper, she argued that the debate won’t “have any new issues that haven’t been discussed” by both candidates in the past.

While she claimed the media will frame Trump as the winner of the debate, she said Biden will win when it comes to policy issues and presentation.

William, 72, also shared that he views the debate as an important American tradition.

According to him, the debate’s purpose is “for the American people to see what they’re lying about — if they can.”

Like Abby, however, William does not think the debate will change his mind.

“I’m going to vote for one person, and I’m straight as an arrow on that one person,” he insisted. “I  think he’s getting a bad shot.”

While many of his neighbors think the debate will have no impact on whom they cast a ballot for this November, Anthony Vatalaro, 38, said the debate may influence whether he decides to participate in the election at all. In particular, Vatalaro will be watching to see whether the candidates bring up the issues that matter to him.

One of those is addressing the homelessness crisis in communities like Lewiston.

“There’s a lot of people on the streets… There’s a lot of homeless veterans on the street that fought for this country,” he said. “In other countries, you fight for your country and are treated like royalty (when you come home). In America, (they’re) thrown on the street and not given mental health services (or a chance) to integrate themselves (back) into society.”

Vatalaro said that if either candidate “made points (about) helping the veterans out,” he might be moved to change how he plans to vote.

He remains pessimistic, however, that this will happen during the debate.

“I haven’t heard anybody speak change since Obama,” he lamented. “I know he didn’t do everything right, but at least he gave us hope.”

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