@GottaLaff The Gish creationist debates taught many of us hard lessons about the danger of “debating” someone that has no respect for facts or rational thought. We all should have taken Twain’s “never argue with an idiot” more seriously. And it still holds.
Yeah, but Biden still has his wits about him and Trump is so incoherent at his rallies that people are walking out.
I expect Biden will trigger Trump into a stuttering rage ball on live television. Should be good entertainment, while (hopefully) exposing of Trump's ineptitude.
@tanyakaroli Nah man. He should’ve just said, “When the GOP puts up a viable candidate, I will gladly debate that person. I’m not legitimizing a guy standing trial and indicted on 81 criminal charges.” He could’ve put it to bed with that. I used to do crisis communications. You never legitimize a straw man.
Any debate is going to be a spectacle - but if they hold it in a studio with no live audience to distract and disrupt, then it will be much less so, and the differences in the candidates will be stark.
@GottaLaff
I don't much care about the hard core Trump voters. It's the middle of the road 'independents' who don't pay a lot of attention and figure each guy is about the same...they need to wake up.
@GottaLaff more spectacle than debate, 100% agree, but I want to see Dark Brandon eviscerate this blowhard. Everyone wants to see the bully get his comeuppance. It's not hard to get under Trump's skin and trigger a rage induced brain fart. Battle of the Geezers and I'm betting on Biden.
@GottaLaff As the old saying goes, it'll be like playing chess with a monkey. The monkey will knock all the pieces of the table, shit on the board, and then walk around acting like he won.
@GottaLaff@panamared27401 This particular monkey isn’t remotely as good at off the cuff debate as Biden. Who will wear gloves & toss his poo back at him. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if the monkey came down with monkey flu before the debates actually happened.
@GottaLaff it’s a prime opportunity to watch Orange Menace blather like the deranged nut bag that he is. don’t think voters want deranged except MAGAs.
The presidential debates became mere spectacle long ago — I take it back to Reagan’s “I’m paying for this microphone” line in 1980 in response to having his mike shut off in a NH Repub debate. Then against Reagan used the line “There you go again.” to minimize Carter’s charges of Reagan’s record on Medicare. Debates haven’t been the same since!
@GottaLaff I've felt for years that these so called "debates" are spectacles with no real value to the electorate. There have not been real debates for decades.
I was against Biden appearing in this kind of fiasco, but realize that he was under great pressure to do so. Trump will attempt to humiliate Biden, but Biden is by far the better man and he has the upper hand.
It's still possible that Trump will find an excuse to back out.
@GottaLaff Biden should not sully the office of president by standing on a stage with Trump. The last time they debated was a total disgrace. The president would never be in the same room as a criminal defendant charged with 88 felonies, including ones related to the violent attempted overthrow of our government. Now it’s ok because it’s a debate? Biden should tell Trump to go pound sand and the Republicans to put up a real candidate.
@tdwllms1 America yes. Trump voters no. They'll lap it up. If they can turn his sexual assaults into Christian godliness, then nothing matters to them.
Independents will get a close up look at trumps mental deterioration over the last 4 years and so can moderate republican's...
I don't like it, as Kat said.. lends legitimacy...
Of course you know this isn't Biden's first rodeo. He knows better than anyone what Trump's game plan is for a debate.
But truly Biden is the best candidate to run against Trump. You can't against an authoritarian by throwing more mud faster, which is what basically every leftist liberal wants a candidate to do. It's a trap and Biden is much smarter than that.
Biden's best play is to fight Trump with compassion and empathy. Expressing compassion and empathy is Biden's greatest political talent. That's what his message has been his whole political career.
It's performative. And kinda a game of chicken. They agree to debate now, but something WILL come up that one will blame the other.
Trump might need to be in court in GA.
@GottaLaff@chiclet Of course, it may be that Trump makes a complete fool of himself, and Biden stomps all over him. I may be naive, but I think Biden can handle him.
@GottaLaff@chiclet I agree, I'd prefer Biden doesn't debate him at all .. but if he must, I'd prefer - and expect - him to win. I think Trump is bluffing about wanting to debate him anyway, because he knows he's a moron, so it may be that he backs out, in which case Biden wins without having to enter the arena at all.
@GottaLaff@chiclet Fair enough.. I'll just say, Biden is caught between a rock and a hard place, because if HE's the one who is perceived as trying to back out, that's a win for Trump. In any case, I reckon Biden will come out of any debate smelling of roses, and everybody will see what a demented idiot Trump is.
@GottaLaff@Tonkey@chiclet Once Trump finds out his mic may be muted when it’s not his turn to talk he’ll suddenly remember he has a graduation to attend that day.
@Tonkey@GottaLaff@chiclet Here’s is my concern. I remember the debates with Hillary, she was knowledgeable, hard hitting and clearly won but the cult refused to see it.
@Doreen32128@GottaLaff@chiclet My answer to that is twofold, I believe Biden may well be better at debating Trump than Hillary - who came across as condescending (like it or not) - and Trump's shtick of bullying, lying, and slandering has worn thin, so will be less kindly received (this time), and finally, Trump's base is always with him, but he needs to convert the independents/mushy middle, and I don't see him doing that. Trump can't win with just his cretin base.
@GottaLaff@Doreen32128@chiclet If the electorate expects, and demands a debate, then debate he must.. though the longer he can delay it without backing down the more Trump's dementia will have progressed, which cedes the advantage to Biden. I agree a debate is incredibly risky for Biden.. but no less so for Trump, and if Biden were on top form, he could bury him then and there.
@Tonkey Oh sure, if a debate had been set. But Biden is the one who called this one. I do think that is a good thing, on his terms, but I don't think a spectacle is the way to change minds. @Doreen32128@chiclet
@GottaLaff@Doreen32128@chiclet Biden calling for a debate pulls the rug out from under those who say 'he's hiding in his basement', and puts the onus on Trump to come to the table (which isn't a foregone conclusion, coward that he is), and if the "spectacle" is Trump beclowning himself, and getting his ass handed to him, then I'll be there, popcorn in hand, cheering it all on. P.s if Biden lands jabs that humiliate, expose, and enrage Trump, we could see him crumble into a whiny toddler, and it's not as if Biden doesn't have warehouses of ammunition to attack him with. All Trump has is the same tired bs we've all heard a thousand times before, and he may find the 'Sleepy Joe' line apt to boomerang, given his behaviour in court.
@GottaLaff Based on Biden's current level of taunting I project less of a debate and more of a humiliation contest. I'm sure Biden will get a good measure of policy/threat-to-democracy in there, but I also expect him to arrive with an arsenal of counter-attacks.