Posted on 10/22/2020 9:02:29 AM PDT by Kaslin
Although most viewers will not be on the edge of their seats for the final presidential debate tonight, it will be nothing short of a spectacle of frenzied accusations, heated tempers, and vague and incomplete policy descriptions. Debates rarely sway support for either candidate. However, since the first encounter between President Donald Trump and Joe Biden was widely labeled anything but a debate, and the second planned meeting between the two was hastily cancelled, the final debate will give voters one last opportunity to measure each candidate as they spar on the same stage. And it will no doubt provide entertaining moments for all of us. What can we expect from the final debate? What must each candidate do to claim victory? And what impact, if any, will it have on the last two weeks of the campaign?
Like the first two debates, the final parley has been a turbulent and tenuous affair. Originally, the two campaigns agreed that foreign policy would be the center-piece topic, a long-held tradition of presidential debates. Three days ago, Kristen Welker, the final moderator, announced five topics, none of which included foreign policy, angering the Trump campaign. In addition, the Presidential Commission on Debates announced a new and last-minute rule change. The candidates’ microphones will be muted.
Preparations by both candidates have differed vastly. Joe Biden retreated at the beginning of the week to seclusion to prepare his talking points, and conveniently dodge questions of his and his son’s foreign business entanglements in Ukraine, China and Russia. President Trump has remained tried and true to his normal preparatory approach by traversing the U.S. in key battleground states and galvanizing his voters at his signature rallies.
Despite these two divergent approaches to the debate, the final interlude will come down to three core elements.
First, President Trump will launch a vicious attack on Joe Biden’s silence in response to revelations about his and his son’s alleged scheme to facilitate large business contracts in return for access and influence offered by the former vice president. This issue has become the 2020 version of the successful rallying cry against Hillary Clinton in 2016 that culminated in chants of “lock her up.” The president will use it to knock Joe Biden emotionally. He wants the American people to see Biden erupt with anger.
Second, and likely the greatest mystery to be solved during the debate, will the president resist the urge to continually interrupt Joe Biden? And will Biden be able to recall his talking points if Trump does not interject? The president will not change his tact and will continue to challenge Biden at every opportunity. But he will be more aware of Biden’s potential to stumble and gladly give Biden as many of these opportunities as possible.
Third, the impact of the “muted microphone” rule will change the flow of the debate, but it will most certainly not stop the president from abrupt and concise interjections, sound or no sound. He will look for moments where he can knock Joe Biden mentally. Many observers of the first debate believe if President Trump had followed this strategy, it would have illuminated Biden’s mental lapses which have dogged him throughout his campaign.
Victory will inevitably be declared by both candidates before the debate has ended. However, Joe Biden is coming into the final debate weakened and vulnerable. He must address the questions surrounding his family’s foreign business entanglements. Thus far, his and his team’s response has been appalling, untruthful, and incomplete. Any political strategist would have told a candidate to address the issue head on, get it out of the way, and move on. Joe Biden could have done just that in his response issued today. Instead, he bungled it and attempted to deflect from the issue by laying blame on others. He missed a valuable opportunity right at a crucial moment in the final throws of the campaign to demonstrate character and leadership.
President Trump needs to talk about the economy, the economy, and the economy. He needs to let American voters know his vision for overcoming the medical and economic pains of the pandemic, and his plan for driving robust economic growth over the next four years. The greatest endorsement of the president is the resiliency and strength of the U.S. economy, which he has built over the last four years. If he focuses on the economy during the debate, at his rallies, and wherever else he goes, he will win.
The final debate will offer plenty of moments that arouse emotions, from amusement to anger and everything in between. It will provide one last look at both candidates and what they plan to offer American voters. Regardless, in the end, the final debate will not move the needle drastically for either man. Any fireworks from the candidates’ performances, which will happen, will subside after 48 hours.
The specter of events along the campaign trail will dominate the last few days. More than 42 million people have already voted – a record in a U.S. election. Debates are not the venues for October surprises either. We have 12 days of campaigning left before Election Day. Unless James Comey comes out of retirement to interfere in the 2020 election, the Biden foreign business scandal will likely be the last. Yet, there are 12 days left. In political campaigns, one thing is certain; anything can happen and usually does.
Rick Gates is the former deputy campaign manager for Donald Trump. He was a witness in the Russia investigation conducted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and is the author of “Wicked Game: An Insider’s Story on How Trump Won, Mueller Failed, and America Lost.”
I anticipate a cut mike war on Trump, and not being happy about it tomorrow.
The president’s microphone will be muted but Biden’s will not.
This is going to be an "undo" of everything he has said in the past.
With this moderator I expect it to be a circus and President Trump will have difficulty even getting a word in.
Muting Biden’s mike half the time reduces the chance of him making embarrassing gaffes. And during that time, the impartial moderator will be unmuted, debating on his behalf. Win-win.
Mr President
Please take a large folded up piece of paper to the debate.
Put a picture and or drawing and or text message on the paper.
Unfold it during the debate.
Make sure it is big enough that viewers can clearly see the message.
It will go viral, even though the moderator turns iff you mike.
Mr President
Please take a large folded up piece of paper to the debate.
Put a picture and or drawing and or text message on the paper.
Unfold it during the debate.
Make sure it is big enough that viewers can clearly see the message.
It will go viral, even though the moderator turns OFF your mike.
Maybe use both sides of the paper also?
The topics chosen by NBC’s Democrat moderator Kristen Welker:
Fighting Covid-19: Welker will accuse Trump of being responsible for all of the covid deaths (instead of the democrat governors)
American Families: Welker will accuse Trump of being opposed to human rights
Race in America: Welker will ask Trump to denounce white supremecy
Climate Change: Welker will accuse Trump of being hostile to clean air and water
National Security: Welker will try to avoid Biden’s role in the China and Burisma scandals
Leadership: Welker will accuse Trump of being divisive and unpresidential
President Trump should bring a timer, start it when demented joe starts speaking and that goes off with a loud bell at the end o 2 minutes
“of 2 minutes”
President Trump needs to bring his own mike.
Ok.. here’s my prediction...
Trump will carry with him onto the stage a very easily read legal letter sized poster that says “W R O N G!!!” or “LIE”.
Instead of interrupting, he’ll hold it up for the cameras.
Now.. thats just one iteration of what I really think will happen....
Trump will once again make a total mockery out of this debate.... and will most likely focus his attacks on the moderator.... completely ignoring Joe.
Every chance he gets, he will break the rules to illustrate how THEY are breaking the rules of fairness.
Yes... he will bring up Hunter’s laptop... one way or the other, but dont expect him to be like Pence now that he’s been scolded. That’s just not Trump.
Biden’s mike will be muted, which will protect him. The moderator’s mike will not.
Trump will be interrupted a lot. But not by Biden.
I’ll raise you one on that. I’ll be so livid, that I will have trouble sleeping tonight, stewing over the blatant evil and dishonesty of the MSM. (That is what I expect, anyway.)
We should expect this to be the last debate run by the Presidential Commission on Debates, at least as now constituted. It is clear that an official organization calling the shots on debates is not serving the country in these hyper-partisan times. I’m not sure what, or if, anything should replace it.
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