On tomorow’s debate
I plan to have a thread tomorrow to discuss the debate. But I just want to say now that, in addition to my usual dislike of debates, I have a special layer of anxiety about this one. Way too much is riding on it – way way too much, and those running the debate would obviously like Kamala Harris to do well. Plus, debates are not Trump’s strong suit.
Because this is probably the only presidential debate there will be this cycle, it takes on added significance despite the fact that – as is always the case – debates are not necessarily a good reflection of much of anything except sound bites and emotional perceptions including perceived attractiveness. Yes, debates do show a person’s ability to think on his or her feet and be clear about answers. But so much of a viewer’s take on that that depends on the manner in which questions are asked, what questions are asked, and the format (including the possibility of a favored candidate getting the questions in advance), as well as the way a biased and activist press talks about the exchanges afterwards and “fact checks” them.
neo writes,
“Because this is probably the only presidential debate there will be this cycle, . . . .”
Strictly speaking, we also had that presidential debate in June with Biden in opposition to Trump. But you and I and all of us know exactly what you mean here.
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[So Trump holds the record for most presidential debate *opponents* in a single cycle!]
I think I may have made this point a few weeks ago, but I would not be surprised if there’s a 7 second in the broadcast, to give the networks a chance to dump anything Harris says that exposes her for the simpleton she is.
I also think that barring anything unexpected, the leftist establishment media will portray any result as being a huge win for Harris, with stories Wednesday morning asserting that she “owned” Trump and was “presidential.” Barf.
Trump did okay with Biden. Even if Biden had been competent, Trump’s affect and control of his mouth would have been a productive offset to whatever Biden could come up with.
I’m not sure that Trump winning or losing in a debate in any objective sense would be important. He’d have to be ‘way off in the basement, practically as if he were talking of something else, for the real issue to be overriden; his mannerisms and unruly mouth impressing or not the independents.
The left believes whatever Harris will say, or believe that, as Sanders says, she’s lying for pragmatic reasons. She can’t send them away. The most garbled answers to anything would be without impact. The right knows better. Neither side will budge without some catastrophe.
Trump needs to impress the independents with the practical situation and not put off some of the less-independent with his indiscipline.
Plus, debates are not Trump’s strong suit.
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I don’t see them as a weak point, however. Remember that, after the 2016 win, some people did a reenactment of a debate with Hillary. But with a man reading her lines and a woman reading Trump’s. The almost unanimous opinion was MORE pro-Trump (or Trumps arguments) than they initially expected.
Besides, if skill at debating were all that important, Gingrich and Cruz would have been President.
It takes more than 7 second to dump that
I appreciate that Harris has gotten serious with Debate Camp. But in my experience, cramming for an exam never worked as well as I hoped.
I’m reminded of this scene from David Mamet’s film, “Spartan” with Val Kilmer as a seasoned Special Forces guy interacting with a young wannabe soldier:
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You had all you life to prepare for this moment.
Why aren’t you ready?
–“Spartan – Why Aren’t You Ready?” (2004)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6oaXdPsiN0
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I don’t think Harris is stupid. But she sure is not ready.
What has she been doing since she became vice-president?
Oh, cackling mostly…experimenting with different accents…tossing lots of word salad…and lying non-stop.
You can imagine how much focus, intensity, discipline and stamina THAT requires.
(One can only conclude that she’s definitely “Biden”-ready.)
This debate has been more hyped than a Mohammed Ali fight. The MSM is hoping for their favored candidate to score a big win. I doubt that it will change many minds.
The Trump haters will still vote for Harris, or Stein, or Oliver, or West.
The 4% of undecideds will probably still be undecided.
I predict that it will be a boring, tedious event and that both sides will proclaim victory.
I’d like to see a really good, substantive debate. This, I fear, won’t meet that standard.
No matter the outcome of the debate, the only real issue is: Are you better off today than you were four years ago?
I am very nervous about it. If Trump can manage to be calm, composed and not reactionary… right. As in, yeah right.
Let kamala word salad her way on her own, is the best strategy. More she talks, the more people dislike her
I think Trump will play it mostly smart. He will let Harris indict herself. He will be helped by the closed mics.
Harris has a tough job. She has to thread the needle between being the Change Candidate — “A New Way Forward” — and not underbussing her previous hard left positions and being a supposedly key member of the Biden administration.
About 30% of people polled don’t know who Harris is and want to know more. She’s now posing as a centrist, but if they knew Kamala like you and I know Kamala…
Trump’s job is to keep the focus on her record and not The Vibe, not personal vendetta.
The debate is Kamala’s concern. Everybody knows what Trump is like. Cool. calm, collected, or bombastic, or a combination. Neither would be new to the audience. Harris, on the other hand, is memorable, to me, for her BS, I was that little girl line in the Dem debate, and for the clips of her being spanked by Tulsi.
Kamala’s side is sweatin’ it. and personally, I hope she is fantastically terrible.