Wednesday, September 30, 2020

First Presidential Debate 2020

I watched President Trump 'debate' ex-Vice President Joe Biden last night (Tuesday, September 29th, 2020).  It was a three martini debate.

I didn't learn anything I didn't already know, and the only thing that surprised me was the intensity of the hostility displayed by both sides for their respective opponent.  I've seen bar fights start with a lot less fuel than either one of the candidates displayed.  Then we have the so-called mediator, Chris Wallace, who did a remarkably ineffective job.

My take?  If anyone cares, I think that:

  • This wasn't a debate.  This was a WWF smack down, sans any time in the ring.
  • No one is going to change their vote because of last night's performance.
  • Both Democrats and Republicans are going to declare their side was the clear winner.

President Trump's worst moment: When Wallace asked that the President refrain from interrupting, his response was a jejune rant of blame shifting and denial.  From a transcript of the debate: 

Wallace, about interruptions: But I think that the country would be better served, if we allowed both people to speak with fewer interruptions. I’m appealing to you, sir, to do that.

President Donald J. Trump: Well, and him too.

Chris Wallace: Well, frankly, you’ve been doing more interrupting than he has.

President Donald J. Trump: Well, that’s all right, but he does plenty.

Chris Wallace: Well, sir, less than-

President Donald J. Trump: He does plenty.

Chris Wallace: No, less than you have. Let’s please continue on.

Any minute I expected Trump to point at Biden and yell that he did it first.  This is not Trump's finest hour.

Then we have ex-Vice President Joe Biden's worst moments: 

When asked about packing the court:

ex-Vice President Joe Biden, to Trump: Will you shut up, man?

When discussing the three and a half million dollars Biden's son got from Moscow:

ex-Vice President Joe Biden, about Trump: Well, it’s hard to get any word in with this clown.

Here it is.  You do not tell the President of the United States to shut up, and you sure as hell do not call him a clown.  Joe Biden did those things, and the people of the United States cannot and should not suffer a man in office who comports himself in this manner in public.

Me, I'm voting for Trump.  But then, I've always voted the Republican ticket, and voted against tax levies.

5 comments:

CWMartin said...

I told a friend I so wanted to turn Biden's "I AM the democrat party!" into a meme with a pic of Major Hochstetter from Hogan's Heroes, but took the high road instead. Like I thought Trump was actually going to do- for about 45 seconds.

Bigus Macus said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bigus Macus said...

I never watch the "Debates" I went to bed instead. No ones mind will be changed everyone already knows who the will vote for. It's all Kabuki theatre. The only question is how biased will the moderator be? Chris Wallace answered that right out of the gate. I'm surprised that Chris didn't ask Joe if he liked puppies

Ed Bonderenka said...

Well, I think Trump did pretty well for a guy who was being ganged up on by two other guys.
The format sucked.
Two minutes of trying to counter the lies Biden had just told didn't give Trump the opportunity to answer the current biased question Wallace had thrown at him.

Mad Jack said...

CW: Oh, go ahead and take the low road for a change. I think Hochstetter would fit right in!

Tim: I generally miss the debates myself, but I wanted to see if Biden would suffer some kind of mental breakup during the debate.

Ed: Wallace was so biased even I couldn't believe it. Some modicum of even-handedness would have been refreshing.