Wednesday, September 30, 2020

A Two-Man Debate Turns Into A Free-For-All, But Did Anyone Win?

President Donald Trump came out of the gate hard, attempting to knock Vice President Biden on his heels with the kind of comments that have defined his interview style since the 1980s.

The strategy looked like it would succeed, with the president ringing in an early hit on his term lasting four years - not three - and against Biden's claim that 100 million - or nearly one-third of Americans - have pre-existing health conditions, followed by a steady defense of his Supreme Court nominee.

Trump did not succeed in turning either his initial jabs or Biden's opening unsteadiness into any kind of firm hit, allowing the Delaware politician to recover with "Would you shut up, man?" and "Keep yappin', man" - a tactic Biden continued to use to block the one-line jabs.

The end of the hour saw the president's first major debate win when he made the strong, sustained case for law enforcement and law and order - once-normal concepts he challenged Biden to say without equivocating - that drew only a tepid, weary defense from the Democrat.

When Biden cited his son Beau Biden's military service in an attempted broadside on Trump, the president went on full offense, turning a rehearsed win for the Democrat into a defense of his other son, Hunter, who was discharged from the military after testing positive for cocaine - before making millions of dollars dealing with foreign governments.

While Trump failed to land the early blows he seemingly could have, Biden failed to make the case for why he should be president, bogging down instead on criticism of his opponent.

Trump continued his closing assault demanding Biden name a single law enforcement group that supported him - a demand the vice president refused, as he'd refused an early push to affirm he would not stack the U.S. Supreme Court.

https://thefederalist.com/2020/09/30/a-two-man-debate-turns-into-a-free-for-all-but-did-anyone-win/ 

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