The Debate

This might sound like rambling, but just some thoughts on the debate.

I have to agree with the local (Los Angeles) Fox commentator who called it a “dumpster fire”. Indeed it was. Neither candidate came off as impressive. It reminded me of one of those old “chop fights” we used to have in high school, where you insulted each other’s mama. At least they didn’t go that far.

I have to admit that Trump was the more aggressive, meaning he did more interrupting than Biden. I also have to admit that Biden didn’t self destruct into a senior moment where he forgot where he was. He was muddled at times but did better than I expected. 

Chris Wallace disappointed. He had little control and seemed biased toward Biden. I expected him to be tough on both candidates.

I thought that Biden was at his worst when he twice called Trump a clown. He also told him to shut up. Not classy. Whatever you think of Trump, he is the president, and Biden should have used more restraint. In addition, within the space of a few seconds, he stated that the Green New Deal would pay for itself then said he didn’t support it. He also claimed he saved Chrysler (or was it General Motors?)

But Trump wasn’t classy either; he was Trump. 

I thought that Trump missed a golden chance to score when the discussion turned to election fraud and ballots. He talked about things that happened in various states but said nothing about the Project Veritas expose on Ilhan Omar and her machine in Minneapolis.

Of course, much is being made of Trump’s statement when pushed by Wallace and Biden to denounce white supremacy including the Proud Boys.  ”Sure, I’m willing to do that. But I would say almost everything I see is from the left-wing, not the right-wing. I am willing to do anything. I want to see peace.” Biden then asked Trump to specifically condemn the Proud Boys, to which Trump said, “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by”“  What did he mean by “stand by“? To me, it was Trump’s typical inartful way of expressing himself. But the mainstream media is saying that he refused to speak out against white nationalists, and that is a lie. Biden for his part dodged the chance to condemn Antifa. Instead, he described it as an “idea, not an organization”. I’ve heard Italians say the same thing about the Mafia, but they exist even if they don’t carry membership cards in their wallets.

Trump threw out the Hunter Biden issue, which Biden angrily denounced as “discredited”  which it is not. He did not refute the charges other than saying they were discredited.  

All in all, I think it was disappointing all around. The conservative media is saying Trump was the winner while the liberal media says the opposite. Here is how Vanity Fair is describing the exchange over Hunter Biden. 

 “He turned to the lens a fourth time after the president shamelessly, disgustingly ignored the military service of Beau Biden to resume his attacks on Hunter Biden: “My son, like a lot of people, like a lot of people we know at home, had a drug problem,” Biden said, somehow hanging on to his dignity. “He’s fixed it. He’s worked on it.” It was honest and identifiable and vulnerable and decent—or, more succinctly, the very opposite of Trump—and it was Biden’s best emotional touch of the night.”

Nothing about Hunter Biden’s dealings with China, Ukraine and Russia. Nothing about how Joe got the prosector in Ukraine who was investigating Burisma fired. Hunter’s drug issues are the least of the problem.

Does this debate change anybody’s minds? I doubt it. People have their minds pretty well made up except if your name is Rip Van Winkle.