The debate between candidates Joni Ernst and Bruce Braley, who are running to fill Sen. Tom Harkin’s vacant seat, went into full swing Sept. 28, and the heat was on. Both candidates spent a lot of time talking about what issues they supported and what ones their opponent didn’t, and many shots were fired. The real kicker was that most of this happened without students noticing. 

Normally people do not want to sit around and talk about politics. In fact, it is one of the subjects that you purposely avoid talking about. While it may be uncomfortable to discuss, it is not something that should be completely ignored. Knowing what is happening in our state politically is the responsibility of the people who live in this state, and that applies equally to every citizen. Both Ernst and Braley support different things, and in order to make a knowledgeable decision on the ballot come voting day we must have some knowledge of what the candidates are supporting.

Bruce Braley, the Democratic candidate, spent most of his time in the debate talking about energy efficiency, healthcare and trying to defend his record on veterans affairs, which is noteworthy because — as pointed out by Ernst — he has missed 75 percent of Veterans Affairs Committee hearings.

Joni Ernst is the Republican candidate and she focused primarily on minimum wage and social issues. She spent much of her time during the debate defending the idea that decisions on minimum wage should not be made at the federal level.

One of the largest arguments in the debate was when Ernst said that she was not sure that climate change was caused by humans. Climate change is something that many people in Iowa worry about, and Braley blasted her after her comment, talking about how a solution is important to Iowa. 

On Sept. 28, a Des Moines register poll of likely Iowa voters showed that Ernst was leading Braley, 44 percent to 38 percent.

The issues being talked about during these debates are issues that will directly affect Iowa for years to come. People are seemingly most concerned with minimum wage, energy and social issues. As students, we should be aware of what these issues are and be able to confidently declare which side of the fence we stand on. 

Iowa has a large population of independents. Generally independents pay less attention to politics than people who have a chosen political party, according to George Hawley, assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama.

It is not a demand that people chose a political party. Rather independents, for their better interest, should focus on issues for both parties so that they are able to have a strong ballot decision. Swing voters should not know less about politics or be less invested in them than people that belong to a political party. They should know even more information about both political parties.

As the youth of Iowa, we have the opportunity to make a difference when it comes to voting. Politics is not a boring topic that should be avoided during conversation or one we should be afraid to talk about, but rather it should be something we share with others. As people become more comfortable talking about politics and sharing their ideas with one another people may begin to pay more attention.

The decision to learn about the candidates is ours. Remember once your vote goes into the ballot box your decision will affect the state of Iowa for years to come. Know your candidate.