As I write this, I still have the last 30 minutes of the debate on, but it’s an exercise in futility. The simple fact of the matter is that this sorry spectacle is a national disgrace. And in fact you learned everything you needed to know in the first 20 minutes.
The simple facts are these. Biden kicked Trump’s ass up, down, and sideways. Biden was in all ways, and at all times nothing if not presidential. In fact, as the debate started, I was a little worried that Biden’s volume and tone of voice was just a little too reserved and deferential. But his voice grew in strength as the night went on, and after Traitor Tot took that cheap shot at his son, the strength and controlled fury was right there under the surface for the rest of the night.
Trump on the other hand was a hot mess. He started out the evening almost painfully aware that his microphone was off when he wasn’t speaking, so he contented himself with staring straight ahead with his best mug shot face, smirking occasionally. But as the night went on, and Biden kept getting under his skin with porn stars and being a convicted criminal, Trump started losing his sh*t, and attempting to interrupt until he realized that his voice wasn’t being heard.
Alex Wagner of MSNBC is sitting in the spin room right now, and she says that the mood of the Biden team is subdued and restrained. They are planning on only limited comments. The standing mood is that Biden blew the debate that the team lobbied for. But here’s the funny thing. They aren’t bummed by the results because Biden was underprepared for the debate, they’re bummed because he was overprepared for it. Basically, he had so many salient points to choose from that he struggled to choose which ones to use, and came away as faltering and indecisive.
I’m sorry, but I disagree. You know what Biden proved tonight? He proved that he’s an 81 year old man, and he talks like an 81 year old man. But Biden answered every single question he was asked coherently and clearly, and had a coherent response to Trump’s every whimsical nonsense with a coherent retort. And he proved wonderfully capable of getting under Traitor Tot’s skin repeatedly at the perfect moment.
Trump was, on the other hand, simply indescribable. His debate preparation was like the result you’d get from hiring a plumber who got his training from a technical school he saw on the back of a matchbook. Right from the start he made a tactical decision. He decided that he wasn’t. going. to. answer. a. single. f*cking. question. No matter what the question, Trump’s automatic, knee jerk response was to immediately toot his own horn, slam Biden with cheap, unfounded insults, and segues into totally disconnected topics. NATO, Putin, and homicidal rapist immigrants were his poison of choice. And the longer the debate went, the more unhinged he became.
I will say this. I can’t fault either the debate format, nor the moderators. For starters, turning off the microphones was a masterstroke. Trump started out fine, but as the night went on, and Biden kept getting under his skin, he started trying to lean forward and interrupt, not realizing until too late that his voice couldn’t be heard, making him look like a moron. And while it wasn’t Tappers or Bash’s job to fact check Trump, each one repeatedly challenged Trump on his non responsive answers with something like, But sir, the question you were asked was blah, blah, blah, highlighting the fact that he was dodging the questions.
Simple facts. A) While the Biden camp may have wished for a orally stronger, more forceful Biden at the debate, Biden answered every question coherently and cogently, with backup facts. Not only that, but he repeatedly circled back to the fact that The United States is the greatest country on earth, and there’s nothing we can’t accomplish if we put our minds to it!
I like to consider myself a wordsmith, but I can’t find the words to accurately describe Il Douche’s performance, because it wasn’t a performance, it was the disjointed ramblings of a lunatic. And the longer the debate went on, and the more Biden danced rhetorical circles around Trump, the more irrational and unhinged he became.
My personal takeaways. Forget all of the theatrics and bullsh*t. This election is going to be decided on the margins. And by far and away the #1 issue of concern is the economy. Let me ask you a simple question. If you’re a struggling middle or lower middle class American, what would you rather hear? A) I get it. But hang in there, your tax refund will be here on Friday! or, B) You’re overdrawn by $150, and the electric is getting shut off tomorrow? That’s the choice that was offered tonight. Biden offered progress, and solutions, and Trump offered American Carnage!
I will close with this. While Biden may not have come across as strongly as they might have liked, Trump won the debate for him. Simply because Trump did every. single. thing. that turned the Never Trumper’s and disaffected Nikki Haley voters against him in the first place. And independents who tuned in looking for a more restrained Trump capable of putting forward an actual policy decision were left sucking hind tit. Do us all a favor. Wait at least two weeks before even looking at the polls.
I thank you for the privilege of your time.
Excellent article Murphy. Thank you.
Unless some dems want to surrender… already/again. 🤦🏻♂️👀🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️. This country really is addicted to marketing. 💩-45 was a hose of lies and CNN broke the safety valve and cranked it up to 12… so much for an easy victory. Sorry folks… gonna have to grind grind grind and throw some elbows and knees. Can’t be the marquis of queensbeery vs the marquis de Sade (the lord of mierda ala lardo)
I think you may be wrong…..Biden may have won the debate, to people LIKE US WHO READ the news and KNOW Trump lied and danced, but to the avg person, I WOULD have believed TRUMP passed the insulin price drop and not bother to go actually CHECK ANYTHING…….
RW media and repubs are going to accomplish 3 things b4 the elections.
1….. they will tamper down saying, BAN ALL ABORTIONS, and ease off gay people, FOR NOW……if they win, abortions get banned, and gays are fkd. (I’m straight but the homphobia they push is disgusting)
2….. rw media will AMPLIFY EVERY negative INCIDENT of immigrants by 100x more than EVEN NOW…….and bash spending so much on other countries.
If they win BORN IN EAST LA will become a documentary for many….(never mind inner city folk will all be considered gang members, I might be wrong, but I see the national guard going into inner cities if repubs take the 3 chambers…)
3….. our oil CARTELS, including the one that RUNS THE REPUBLICAN PARTY which IS NOT MENTIONED ENOUGH…..THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION, WILL get together with the HANDFUL of RW OIL FKWADS, and raise gas prices b4 the election, which will cause EVERYTHING TO STAGNATE, or go HIGHER………
I beg to differ. The first sentence out of Biden’s mouth clinched it for all of those who believe he’s too old, is ineffectual and can’t go the distance. I could barely hear or understand half of what he said in the first 20 minutes and all I could think was “we’re fked”. The RW will hammer Biden’s age and “can’t string a sentence together” from now to voting day. Call me a pearl clutcher all you want but the fact that orange slime lied his way through the debate won’t make a difference. He’s been lying for 9 years, rambling on about sharks, Hannibal Lechter and all the other BS at his recent rallies and it hasn’t made a difference. I’m truly afraid.
You’re right, it hasn’t made a difference with his base. It’s made a difference with independents and undecideds, though.
Thanks, Murph! Your article gives me hope that it’s not Game Over for Biden. WE ALL KNOW he was having a bad night but like he says, “Don’t compare him to the Almighty. Compare him to the alternative.” Joe will ALWAYS surround himself with smart, competent, trustworthy people. tRump surrounds himself with RWNJs like Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller (a Nazi lover of there ever was one) and Roger Stone. NO CONTEST!