Index – Foreign – Trump attacked hard, Biden escaped without much money: first discussion was very tough

– Joe Biden said about Donald Trump, who was also called a puppet and racist by Russian President Vladimir Putin in the first debate of the US presidential candidates in Cleveland, which took place at dawn in Hungarian time.

On the other hand, the Democratic challenger was constantly spending 90 minutes in the crossfire of Trump’s attacks, during which they clashed on six predetermined issues, moderated by Chris Wallace, the right-wing Fox News feed. The lesson he was given thoroughly, was that Trump was openly arguing with him, and Wallace in turn ordered the president to let Biden finish what he had to say. The six themes were:

1. Political debate around the Supreme Court. Trump said he was not elected for three years, he has the right to nominate a conservative judge, Amy Coney Barrett, as the successor to liberal Ruth Bader Ginsburg towards the end of her presidency.
2. Treatment of the coronavirus epidemic; 7 million were infected, 200,000 died. Biden said Trump stabbed this, and the president said the situation would be even worse during his challenge. Trump, as before, spoke of a plague in China.
3. An economy that quickly turned to the awkward Trump tax case.
4. Ethnic problem. Biden told Trump: This man is a racist. They debated whether the far left or the far right would make America better, or who would do a lot for blacks, who wanted law and order. According to Biden, systemic injustice dominates the country; the problem has been very present in American public life since George Floyd’s death in May. “Who does not dare to say that he is a policeman, because you would lose the radical left!” Trump snapped at Biden.
5. The theme of the presidential performance. Biden’s biggest announcement throughout the debate is that if he becomes president, the United States will rejoin the Paris Climate Convention.
6. Election integrity. Trump again refused to accept the election result if it was unfavorable to him; he just hopes the vote is fair. Both encourage their followers to vote.

An unprecedented duel of words

The sharpest point of the controversy was when Trump and his son attacked Bident. There was a double game: The president didn’t want to talk about Beau, the late war veteran son of the Democratic politician, whom Biden vehemently defended, but about his brother, Hunter, who also brought up his cocaine affairs and how he got good jobs. through the vice presidency of Biden. .

This was the most chaotic and aggressive presidential debate in our history

Mitchell McKinney, director of the Institute for Political Communication at the University of Missouri, took stock of his quick assessment of the Index. According to him, Trump gave the impression of being a hysterical and irritable president who constantly attacked Bident, which also infuriated Wallace himself.

McKinney writes in favor of Biden that the politician, blessed with not-so-great debating skills, escaped this time without a great deal of money, not accepting what he had to say. Thus, he did not provide ammunition for the frequent claim of the Trump campaign: his skills were no longer good, he would not be fit for president.

But according to the US communications expert, it can’t go on like this.

The biggest loser is the American public opinion, which saw no more than 90 minutes of disputes. The performance seen tonight will be completely unacceptable in the next debate, in which citizens will also be able to ask questions. Perhaps his presence will lead him to a civilian bed.

István Dobozi, a Former World Bank leading economy. According to an expert based in the US capital, “we have witnessed the most flawed and chaotic television debate in the history of the US presidential election.

If the rules of competition for fencing had prevailed in the debate between presidential candidates Donald Trump and Joe Biden, a double loss would have been a fair outcome.

– said István Dobozi. The economist recalled that In the remaining weeks, American voters will have to “suffer” two more debates.

“Joe Biden had the most to lose,” continued István Dobozi, as the Democratic candidate has been a serious leader in the polls against President Trump for some time, including in critical Trump-dominated states in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin four years ago. . .

Trump, as an underdog loser, had to attack aggressively.

– Dobozi analyzed the president’s communication strategy. The expert recalled that amid the worsening of the viral situation and the bad economic situation, television debates are the height of Trump that he can still cling to with the weak hope of victory.

In this context, Biden didn’t have to provoke debate, he just had to try not to make embarrassing speeches, and thus make him look good enough in the eyes of the majority of voters, to meet the presidential standard.

Added. According to Dobozi, he achieved this minimal goal in the face of his unsuspecting and highly undisciplined defensive interlocutor, thus taking another significant step toward taking the presidency on November 3.

– Balázs Felcsuti, an economist and publicist living in Boston, told Index. According to the expert, the debate was so silly that it was impossible to determine which candidate would benefit.

“I don’t think this debate is going to weigh much. Also, I would be surprised if there was another round after that, “added Balázs Felcsuti, adding that according to the current position, it will also be a result if we manage to keep the election clean. Due to the epidemic, many are expected to vote by letter, and Trump has indicated repeatedly during the debate that he may not accept the result due to the risk of fraud. Balázs Felcsuti said that the rhetoric used in the campaign exacerbates tension within American society and public opinion is expected to worsen the debate.

– Said the expert, who said that another civil war may await the United States.

Continuation in October: Trump and Biden are debating two more times before the November 3 election.

(Cover image: United States presidential debate on September 29, 2020. Photo: Olivier Douliery / Pool / Reuters)