First US presidential debate was a ‘screaming match’ between Trump, Biden and Wallace, writes Rita Panahi
US President Donald Trump went into battle with two people in the first presidential debate — Joe Biden and debate moderator Chris Wallace. Here’s what else we learned in the 95 minute screaming match, writes Rita Panahi.
Rita Panahi
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President Donald Trump went into battle with two people in the first presidential debate; Joe Biden and debate moderator Chris Wallace.
All Biden had to do to win was to remain coherent and calm.
He almost managed to pull it off.
It helped that the moderator who has a long, adversarial history with Trump was playing
interference for Biden.
The Fox News veteran’s performance was nothing short of disgraceful.
Wallace went into the debate saying he wanted to be “invisible” as moderator, he failed miserably.
“I guess I’m debating you, not him,” Trump said to Wallace early in the debate which was a fiery, bombastic and entertaining affair.
Wallace didn’t ask Biden to disavow violent BLM and Antifa agitators who have been rioting for three months in a number of US cities, killing multiple people and causing billions in damage, but he asked Trump to disavow white supremacists and the ‘Proud Boys’.
Biden claimed that ‘Antifa is an idea, not an organisation,” which would come as a shock to the thousands of people whose livelihoods have been destroyed by the group not to mention those bashed and killed by a group many consider domestic terrorists.
And, Biden with Wallace’s assistance wasted little time in regurgitating the tired old “fine people on both sides” lie which has been comprehensively debunked more than once.
Meanwhile, Trump repeatedly said that the former vice president had achieved nothing in his 47 years in politics.
Trump also claimed that a coronavirus vaccine was around the corner, which seems more wishful thinking than reality.
Wallace and Biden’s efforts to sugar-coat the racist, destructive doctrine of ‘critical race theory’ as harmless ‘racial sensitivity training’ was not handled well by Trump.
He should’ve outlined precisely why it’s a dogma that has nothing to do with equality and everything to do with advancing toxic Marxist ideology.
Ignore all the bleating about the event being an embarrassment for America.
Yes, it was frustrating and cantankerous but it was no more embarrassing than debates where candidates smile sweetly and lie profusely but politely.
It is hard to discern what we learned in the 95 minute screaming match but a few points are worthy highlighting:
— Biden was far sharper than some of his recent interviews where he has appeared confused and struggled to articulate simple points.
— Trump’s aggressive style would appeal to his supporters but I’m not sure it will sway undecided voters.
— Trump’s constant interruptions were frustrating and possibly counter-productive. He would’ve done better to allow Biden to speak; when the former vice president speaks, a gaffe is never far away.
— Biden did not answer key questions and was saved from several embarrassing moments by the moderator. We still don’t know the answer to the crucial question of whether Biden will ‘pack the courts’ as Democrats are urging if Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, is confirmed.
— Biden in a matter of minutes backed and then distanced himself from the New Green Deal. This has the potential to cause a rift among Democrats.
Among the unintentionally amusing moments of the debate was Biden yelling at the president, “will you shut up, man” and then immediately calling him “unpresidential”.
Also mirth inducing was Biden trying to paint himself as a downtrodden minority and claiming that Trump “blew the economy” before coronavirus hit.
Trump inherited a GDP of 1.6 per cent in 2016 and quickly set about cutting red tape and taxes, renegotiating trade deals and bringing back manufacturing which saw the US record its lowest unemployment rate in more than 50 years, before the pandemic-induced shutdowns.
Throughout the debate just about every Trump interruption and claim was disputed by Wallace but Biden was allowed to lie without challenge from the moderator.
At one point Wallace allowed the mask to slip completely and began debating Trump on environmental issues and when Biden said “I can’t keep track of all his ranting,” Wallace laughed and responded with “I’m having trouble myself.”
Biden’s performance was solid and most media commentators will mark him as the clear winner as they did with Hillary Clinton.
For five decades Biden has excelled in the political game, he has run for president three times and debating should be second nature to him but he was clearly rattled whenever challenged by Trump particularly about his son Hunter Biden’s dodgy dealings with the Ukraine, Russia and China.
There are already calls to protect Biden from further debates. A number of Leftist commentators are saying that there should be no further presidential debates in this election campaign. That would be an appalling outcome.
For Trump to win re-election he has to overcome not only the Democrats but also the most astounding media campaign any politician has faced in modern history. The bulk of the media has done everything imaginable to destroy the Trump presidency.
If the polls are accurate then Trump is done and dusted.
But the polls were wrong in the 2016 presidential election, they were wrong for Brexit and they were wrong at the last federal election in Australia.
Are they wrong again?
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