Moment of Truth 
It was messy, unedifying, often downright ugly. And the only real winner was the incredible moderator Chris Wallace.
Still, Joe Biden didn’t lose.
What was meant to be a two-way debate between the presidential contenders more resembled a three-way bout with Wallace often hitting harder against Donald Trump than Biden.
The Democratic contender had the most to lose but he also had a low bar.
He looked awake. He didn’t stumble or waffle too much. In fact, he quickly became feisty, fighting back against Trump’s constant hectoring, heckling shouting and downright abuse.
Boy did he fight back. Within minutes he called the president a “clown”. During the 90 minutes he added numerous other insults including “liar”, “fool”, ”Putin’s puppy” and “the worst president in the history of this country”.
At one point early on he even said, “Will you shut up, man!” which was unpresidential — but then so was the whole debate. And he definitely reflected the views of most people watching the horrible spectacle.
He successfully touched Trump’s trigger points urging him to get off the golf course “out of the bunker, out of the sandtrap”.
Meanwhile the chaotic debate continued to resemble two toddlers in a sandpit testing the furious teacher in the middle.
Biden tried everything to handle Trump’s appalling behaviour which set new lows even by his own standards. The former vice president rolled his eyes, smirked, and downright laughed during the Trump rants. And he did plenty of talking back himself.
But at some key points he allowed Trump’s interjections to derail him, most noticeably during the much anticipated discussion on Trump’s tax returns.
Trump claimed he paid millions and Biden kept sniping “show us your tax returns”, but when given the chance to pursue him he diverted to general tax policy, letting Trump off the hook.
As expected Biden was strongest on the COVID-19 issue, even though he stumbled in the first few minutes of the key figure of 200,000 dead. He hit home with Trump’s cover-up of the pandemic; reminded us of the bleach outrage; demolished Trump’s claim a vaccine was due within weeks.
Biden shrugged off calls of “socialist”. He ignored the constant: “Why didn’t you do anything in your 47 years, Joe?”. Most importantly he did not lose his cool when Trump launched the anticipated vile attack on his son Hunter.
Biden showed the stamina to keep fighting right until the last seconds of the exhausting 90-minute debacle.
How he, a moderator or any poor viewers can come back for a second round will be the next test.
In a year of extraordinary headlines, the upcoming US election will be one of the most compelling news stories of 2020. That’s why we’ve partnered with one of America’s best, independent publications: The Atlantic. Save 50% on a year of Crikey and The Atlantic when you subscribe today using the promocode ATLANTIC2020. Click here to subscribe now.
Leave a comment
The Trump cultists will noisily affirm that Trump won. Biden supporters will claim that Joe won. Seems to me that, with both candidates, Americans are the losers. Only four more weeks of this nonsense to go…
Spot on, Biden was the architect of the mass surveillance laws which has been transported to China with the observable effects,.
For all his narcissistic stupidity he has tried to put some reigns on China and affect the working conditions of the rust belt to try to draw jobs back.
Biden didn’t go after trumps taxes because he would change any of the rules that allowed him to pay no tax as he is a right winger.
When Biden and Obama were in power they oversaw the great wealth transfer from the middle class to the 0.01% in the history of the world.
If Trump is returned, here in Oz we’ll be losers to collateral damage.
Mission impossible for the hapless moderator, but he should have foreseen that, and had each contestant in a sound-proof enclosure and just turned off the microphone the instant the heckling and refusal to follow the rules started.
Perhaps the remaining time of the 2 minute segment could have been forfeited, or even handed to the other contestant as additional punishment for crass behavior in a nationally televised event.
One wit on FB reckoned watching the horror unfold gave him a pre-existing condition…I wonder how many TV’s were wrecked?
Can’t they have a mute button to stop interruptions?
As I understand it, the participants and their apparatchiks have lengthy negotiations about how the “debate” will be conducted, and it’s unlikely anyone would participate under such rules. Even for the moderator, the risk of appearing partisan would be too high.
From memory, Trump’s behaviour was much more unhinged than in his debates with Hilary Clinton 4 years ago. He was a bully, making it up on the fly, who just couldn’t shut up. Biden held his own and came back with some timely responses (“Shut up!”) and didn’t seem to wilt under the onslaught. But it was mostly heat with little room for light. The moderator should have been able to switch off Trump’s mike once he overstepped the rules.
Fact-checking showed that both contestants were flexible with the truth, but – as anticipated – Trump was much more so.
One delicious moment was Trump’s claim that a local sheriff, who he identified, had endorsed him. This unfortunate gent had to thereupon tweet that he didn’t endorse Trump and never would.
I don’t think in this encounter that either party “won”. Biden didn’t lose; Trump’s behaviour suggested panic.
Let’s hope that the Pence/Harris encounter is more civilised and informative.
Sadly, Biden’s ‘few stumbles’ was many, nearly constant stumbles. Sadly, also he seems to be unable to raise his voice to a strong, firm tone to deliver powerful punchlines. I guess we knew he is no Obama, but I really wanted him to do better.
I really don’t know me his filler line that he used a dozen times: “Now here’s the deal”. It’s a very Trumpy line.
One has to remember that Biden has a stutter which means sometimes he jams up.
I would disagree. Over Trump’s incontinent word salad Biden’s voice cut through as firm but passionate, the voice of a man in control of himself and the situation. Biden is no orator, but he doesn’t need to be, he needs to sound presidential and authoritative.
Trump used his usual school debating society technique of information overload, too much of it for his opponent to address in under a week. This may go down well at rallies, but once the debate is sliced into clips it will be Biden’s short, pithy statements that will be heard.
I doubt if the debate will shift the polls much in the short term, but, especially if this is the only debate, I suspect it will work in Biden’s favour amongst waverers.
I’m fascinated by the thought that there could be such a species as “waverers” – meaning people who find it hard to choose between two of the most appalling candidates since err.. 2016.
Even in this land of compulsory voting (not really, but you now what I mean) the main groups receive a largely unchanging 35%, the eternal outisders – Indies, Dem now Greens get 10%+ while the crazies – gNats, Fisters & Shitters and PHONies poll another 10-15%/
Since WWII five per cent have spoiled their ballots or never shown up.
That leaves the so-called “swinging voters” 5% who seek to be bribed by yet to be stolen goods.