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NOT MANY HOURS AGO, the United States and the rest of the world were still in shock after seeing the debacle of a debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, discussed below.
That was before we were once again reeling from another extraordinary wrinkle in a presidential campaign that was already turned upside down. There have been “October surprises” before, but nothing like this.
The positive result of the Covid-19 President and First Lady test injects even more uncertainty into an unprecedented race.
Today, there are a number of unanswered but fundamental questions. Whether there will be a second or third debate is one.
However, at the top of everyone’s list, how will Donald Trump’s diagnosis affect the dynamics in recent weeks and the bottom line? Nobody knows. To be frank, all we can do now is wait and see.
The worst debate … ever
From time to time, words fail. Many of us here in Ireland who stayed up late at night to watch Trump cross swords with Joe Biden were on a similar wavelength when we witnessed what happened in Cleveland on Tuesday. For me, the only word that is possibly enough is sad.
It may have been the most anticipated meeting between two candidates for the White House in the history of presidential debates. Observers wondered how belligerent, personal and, yes, outrageous Trump would become and whether Biden would show that he is ready to be commander-in-chief or if he would lose his temper, make a mistake, or have a time when supposedly his deteriorated mental faculties were exposed.
However, at the top of everyone’s list, how will Donald Trump’s diagnosis affect the dynamics in recent weeks and the bottom line? Nobody knows. To be frank, all we can do now is wait and see.
Source: SIPA USA / PA Images
There was also widespread speculation about how Chris Wallace, the seasoned Fox News journalist, would referee the crash.
Despite the often lampooned bias of the organization he works for, Wallace is highly respected and the philosophy he espouses about being the go-between, which viewers want to hear from contestants, not the moderator, is generally unassailable. His irritable interview with Trump this summer generated further speculation in terms of how it might influence his approach.
What ultimately happened, I think, exceeded all expectations, and not in a good way. Starting first with Wallace, he has come under heavy criticism for failing to slow down candidates and allowing too many interruptions and insults.
There may be some degree of objective truth to these points, but still, I don’t know if anyone could have done much better under the circumstances. In fact, the nonpartisan Presidential Debate Commission later announced that it will make changes “to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues.”
True to character
Stylistically, everyone believed that Trump would come out hot and aggressive. Even by the extremely low standards we’ve collectively come to accept for his demeanor, the New Yorker was loud and obnoxious at all times.
His claim that smart “is not a word to associate with Biden” and that a man who was “last in his (college) class” was below the belt and in bad taste.
Near the end, when Biden brought up his late son Beau, Trump’s cursory deviation aside from the decorated military veteran and former Delaware attorney general, to launch a brutal attack on his opponent’s other son, Hunter, who he has fought against. drug addiction, he was dismissive.
Trump helped his cause on two substantive fronts. His depiction of the impact of the economic shutdown engendered by what many feel has been an overreaction and draconian by some Democratic governors to Covid-19 will have resonated with voters in those states that have suffered financial ruin.
And his favorite “law and order” mantra, combined with the repeated accusation that Biden and his party sympathize with what some characterize as the underbelly of the Black Lives Matter movement, will attract a not insignificant swath of men and women in The suburbs. American.
In style, Biden seemed more presidential on stage, not that this was a feat. Although winding initially, it got better as the 90 minutes wore on and finished quite strong.
Still, despite being deliberately provoked, it was disappointing to hear him call the president a “clown” (to his credit, he immediately tried to back off) and yell at him to “shut up.” Trump is Trump; Biden, an experienced senior figure, should have avoided sinking to his level on this forum.
Substantially, Biden’s description of the president’s mishandling of the coronavirus was persuasive. It was prudent of him to hit him hard after opinion polls showed citizens over 65, who were overwhelmingly for Trump in 2016, disapprove of the administration’s response and have been backing away from the headline.
Additionally, looking directly at the camera and speaking directly to the American people about the integrity of the electoral process was effective. When it did, the overall message was clear and compelling in light of the crude nature of the debate: “We can do better than this.”
‘We can do better’
Politically speaking, arguably each candidate made his biggest mistake in the same minute in addressing the country’s current reckoning with the controversial issue of race relations.
Trump was foolish to make the strange comment that the “Proud Boys should stand down and stand by.” Biden was foolish then to draw a rather nonsensical distinction: “Antifa is an idea, not an organization.” Skeptics and enemies will draw their own conclusions from these missteps.
If Trump had wholeheartedly said that he hated white supremacists, it would have been a reprimand for those who claim he is a racist. Also, he could have quickly put Biden on the defensive by asking him if he felt the same way about those involved in rioting and looting.
On the other hand, Biden’s non-statement on Antifa, regardless of his previous rejection of anarchy comments, will help Trump supporters as they continue to press the case that the Democrat is a tool of radical liberals.
There aren’t many swinging centrist voters left in the places that count. However, they could be crucial, and you may not have liked what either of you said.
In the end, because he got ahead in the polls and because Donald Trump didn’t perform particularly well, Joe Biden likely won the debate. Will the political needle move appreciably? I’m not sure. Given the overnight developments with the FLOTUS and POTUS diagnosis, anything can happen. But I’m sure Americans were the biggest losers after that debate. It was an absolutely shameful affair.
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There could be two more debates. For all kinds of reasons, I wouldn’t miss them for the world. I suspect, however, that many of those who endured the former will never tune in again. Can’t blame them.
If Trump recovers quickly and comes out of quarantine, Mike Pence and Kamala Harris will meet this Wednesday in a vice-presidential debate. I’m not making any predictions except to say that it won’t embarrass the United States of America as much as that “shit show” (thanks to CNN’s Dana Bash for describing it so aptly) the other night.
Larry Donnelly is a Boston attorney, a law professor at NUI Galway, and a political columnist for TheJournal.ie.
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