It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.
For the second presidential debate in a row, the Angelika theater in Mockingbird Station was double booked. In theaters four and three, the Texas Young Democrats were hosting a watch party. In theater six, the Republicans did the same.
The Observer attended both.
Inside the respective theaters, miniature national conventions had come to town. Tables at the front of the Democrats' theater sold yard signs, T-shirts and buttons while voter guides were thrown into the crowd like confetti. The Republicans raffled off MAGA hats, MAGA bumper stickers and T-shirts with a photo of former-President Donald Trump raising his fist after an assassination attempt, captioned, in all capitalized letters, “FIGHT!”
The theater's common areas appeared to be truly amicable, if not a bit quiet; individuals wearing “Love is Love” buttons stood next to those wearing “ULTRA MAGA” red hats while waiting for popcorn. Everyone avoided eye contact.
The popcorn line was where I happened to catch a glance of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who held a VIP meet and greet on the Republican side in the hour ahead of the debate. Paxton munched on some popcorn while passing time until he was set to address the Republicans as an opener for the main act.
Snacks in hand, we made our way into the packed theater — standing room only — and settled in to listen to what Paxton had to say.
Ken, What the Hell?
Everything, and we mean everything, that Paxton touted was shrouded in conspiracy.
“Look at what they're doing in Minnesota. They say that you can dismember a baby in the womb up until the time of his birth? And then, even afterwards, three babies have been left to die on a table in Minnesota,” Paxton said as the audience hissed.
In the last year, Trump and other Republican big-wigs have pushed a conspiracy in the abortion-care conversation by saying that states are allowing last minute abortions for mothers who have carried a baby to term, and that some states are allowing the mother to have an "abortion" after the birth of a child.
This has been totally debunked, as killing a person after they are born is considered murder in every state, and murder is a crime. As the attorney general, Paxton should and does know this, of course.
"You may be a Republican, but [if] you're concerned about what Donald Trump would do to this country, there's room for you in voting for Harris/Walz." — Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins
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And as someone who spoke for nearly 10 minutes about voter law and claims of fraud, he should and does also know that Americans are not required to have a home in order to vote.
“There are going to be some very nefarious things that happen [during the election]. Even here in Dallas, I don't know if you've heard about it, but they are actually saying that homeless people can use church addresses to be registered to vote, or even street corners,” Paxton said, referencing a video from the Dallas County Elections Department that recently went viral on the right-wing X account LibsofTikTok. “I need you to be the eyes and ears. I need you to be the scouts and to go out there and make sure.”
The Dallas County Elections Department responded to the video in a statement, saying that the training was “misrepresented” to “falsely imply” that voter fraud is taking place. State and federal law allows individuals to register to vote even if they do not have a home address, and homeless individuals have commonly been instructed to list the address of a shelter, a church or a park they regularly frequent when registering to vote.
“Misinformation, like the claims made by some individuals sharing this video, creates unnecessary confusion and undermines trust in our electoral system,” the department said.
As Paxton wrapped up his speech and made to leave, an audience member asked: “Mr. Paxton, is Donald Trump going to make you the attorney general for the whole country?”
Paxton paused. He gave a small smile.
“I don't know whether I’d be asked,” he mused. “I love President Trump. I think the Department of Justice is as corrupt as they come. … If I had that opportunity, there would be some serious changes.”
The crowd cheered. Paxton smiled, he waved, and then he was gone.
The Most Improper Movie Theater-Going Experience We Have Ever Witnessed
As the debate began and ensued, we took part in what was the most improper movie theater behavior we have ever witnessed.
People were cracking up. They were cracking jokes. They cheered and they booed. They filmed on their phones, took photos with the flash on and live-Tweeted every moment. The behavior felt so wrong for the environment, like having a kegger inside of a church.
In the Democrats’ theater, the roof was brought down each time a moderator fact checked Trump.
“This was wonderful. This was the perfect way to watch the debate,” Alyssa Dequeant of Rowlett told the Observer after the debate. “My people were just energized, ready to go, ready to register voters and make it happen. [This was] much better than sitting at home just being angry at the TV.”
Dequeant said she felt Vice President Kamala Harris “wiped the floor” with Trump, a sentiment that seemed to be somewhat shared on both sides. As the debate ended and people made their way to leave, Democrats lingered to chit chat, purchase last minute merchandise and celebrate, while the Republican watch party cleared out fairly quickly.
I hope you all have popcorn right now this is too good
— Dallas Observer (@dallas_observer) September 11, 2024
Those who lingered were, for the most part, amicable and fair in their assessment of the debate.
(We were accosted by one man who appeared to be drunk and accused the Observer of being "fake news." He was not wearing any political memorabilia, and he warned that illegal immigrants were going to break into our homes. Hopefully he drank some water and took a Tylenol before going to bed.)
“[Harris] did show out. I will give her credit for actually answering questions, looking into the camera and not cackling,” Republican Melody Rox told the Observer. “I wouldn’t trade tonight for anything in the world. It was an experience.”
Rox, wearing the signature red MAGA hat, said she was “not that pumped” about the election prior to the watch party experience, but the energy made her feel “hyped.”
Dallas County Judge Clay Lewis Jenkins attended the watch party on the Democratic side, and described the experience of sharing the theater with rivals as being similar to “a college football game.”
“I think you saw a clear, different vision for America [during the debate],” Jenkins told the Observer. “You may be a Republican, but [if] you're concerned about what Donald Trump would do to this country, there's room for you in voting for Harris/Walz. So that was really a great night.”
