First presidential debate (14 Viewers)

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Optimus Prime

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NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden begins an intense period of private preparations Friday at Camp David for what may be the most consequential presidential debate in decades.

The 81-year-old Democrat’s team is aware that he cannot afford an underwhelming performance when he faces Republican rival Donald Trump for 90 minutes on live television Thursday night. Biden’s team is expecting aggressive attacks on his physical and mental strength, his record on the economy and immigration and even his family.

Trump, 78 and ever confident, will stay on the campaign trail before going to his Florida estate next week for two days of private meetings as part of an informal prep process.

The former president’s allies are pushing him to stay focused on his governing plans, but they’re expecting him to be tested by pointed questions about his unrelenting focus on election fraud, his role in the erosion of abortion rights and his unprecedented legal baggage.

Thursday’s debate on CNN will be full of firsts, with the potential to reshape the presidential race. Never before in the modern era have two presumptive nominees met on the debate stage so early in the general election season. Never before have two White House contenders faced off at such advanced ages, with widespread questions about their readiness.

And never before has a general election debate participant been saddled with a felony conviction. The debate-stage meeting comes just two weeks before Trump is scheduled to be sentenced on 34 felony counts in his New York hush money trial.

“You can argue this will be the most important debate, at least in my lifetime,” said Democratic strategist Jim Messina, 54, who managed former President Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign.

PRESSURE ON BIDEN


The ground rules for Thursday’s debate, the first of two scheduled meetings, are unusual.

The candidates agreed to meet at a CNN studio in Atlanta with no audience. Each candidate’s microphone will be muted, except when it’s his turn to speak. No props or prewritten notes will be allowed onstage. The candidates will be given only a pen, a pad of paper and a bottle of water.

There will be no opening statements. A coin flip determined that Biden would stand at the podium to the viewer’s right, while Trump would deliver the final closing statement.


The next debate won’t be until September. Any stumbles Thursday will be hard to erase or replace quickly.………..

 
This could go into a few threads...


The White House is going to have to do everything it can to put surrogates minds at ease.

I know there have been anonymous sources saying a decision all rests with Jill Biden, but I have to believe it's more complicated than that. Hard to imagine Barack, for instance, doesn't have a lot of influence with Joe. As it is, the people who interact with him on a regular basis, or are otherwise part of his inner circle, aren't, as far as I can tell, the ones expressing concern and panic. It's the people on the outside. The debate performance is out there so the White House is going to have to contend with it.
 
Despite the almost singular focus right now on Biden's wellbeing, I think there might be an underestimation of how many people feel exactly like this gentleman, or will, as the reality of what is actually on the ballot settles in. Both candidates are old. Both candidates have raised concerns about their fitness for office. One of them unapologetically poses a serious danger to the future of our country.

 
You ever had a cold that made it impossible to breathe through your nose? Yes, he was ill-prepared, and he wasn’t quick with comebacks. But let’s just quit catastrophizing him into some sort of dementia patient. There’s no real evidence for that.

I think there’s some merit to the wrong type of preparation theory. He tried to be a policy wonk, which he decidedly is not, rather than the Joe Biden that he really is. I also believe he needs to quit setting the blistering pace he was trying to set. He’d been around the world several times, then intense debate prep, then the debate with a cold.

I’m fine with him being slow to speak, slow to walk, and also drawing on his decades of experience to get things done, even if in a slow methodical way.
The issue isn't so much "can he do the job of president" for the next four years, the issue is "can he get reelected," because if he can't get reelected he won't get the opportunity to do the job.

Trump spent most of his presidency watching Fox News, playing golf, and tweeting. Granted, his administration was a disaster of perpetual absurdities, culminating in a clueless and incompetent response to a once in a century global pandemic, but assuming Biden continues to surround himself with competent advisers as opposed to the opportunistic grifters of the Trump administration, I'm confident he could manage the duties of the office.

Right now though I'm not so confident he can get reelected, and I'm hoping we're not watching a train wreck in slow motion.
 
The issue isn't so much "can he do the job of president" for the next four years, the issue is "can he get reelected," because if he can't get reelected he won't get the opportunity to do the job.

Trump spent most of his presidency watching Fox News, playing golf, and tweeting. Granted, his administration was a disaster of perpetual absurdities, culminating in a clueless and incompetent response to a once in a century global pandemic, but assuming Biden continues to surround himself with competent advisers as opposed to the opportunistic grifters of the Trump administration, I'm confident he could manage the duties of the office.

Right now though I'm not so confident he can get reelected, and I'm hoping we're not watching a train wreck in slow motion.

It's a justified concern and one I think a lot of people are feeling to some extent. I certainly am. (But I'm also unconvinced there is a viable plan B at this stage so I'm staying focused on the consequences of the election.)

As valid as it is, I also recognize there are dynamics that set up against Biden to put him at a disadvantage on matters like this.

Trump wasn't wrong when he said he could shoot somebody on 5th Avenue. Nothing seems to rattle his supporters, or even many of the political coattail voters who are happy to get what they want out of his presidency. Biden enjoys no such loyalty. And, sure, he shouldn't and no candidate should. But when one candidate does, it stacks the deck against the other.

Along with that, I think a lot of the media has fatigue when it comes to Trump. Sure, he's always going to capture attention, but what new negative thing can be said about him that hasn't been written about exhaustively? The comparative novelty of Biden controversies stir a lot more interest and outrage; eagerly consumed by audiences on both sides of the aisle, because of the first point.

About the only way I can see to combat that advantage is for people to rally around the fight for democracy as uncompromisingly as the people who rally around Trump. That's the coalition Democrats are going to have to build to be successful in this election. Beyond that, Democrats are going to have to figure out how to defeat all the groundwork Republicans have laid to get us here. That's the real war.
 
I think most people can see that Biden can't be making the decisions, he has simply dropped off too much. So, my question is who is making those decisions for him? Who exactly is inching us closer to war in Europe? I guess if you can believe that Biden is actually making the decisions then it does make sense we are in the mess we are in since we all saw the 'sharp', 'cogent' or 'best ever version of Biden' on full display.

I have said for a some time that Biden will be replaced as he was declining too much to win. It seems many are finally coming around to this fact. Do you guys think negativaly on the administration or the media for lying this whole time? All the talk about 'fakes' and 'cheap fakes' were simply gaslighting the voter base.

Newsome? Whitmer? Michelle Obama? Who do you all think will be the replacement for El Cid?

I think Newsome but I have no idea how they get Jill to agree to step down much less ask Kamala to not run.
 
I think most people can see that Biden can't be making the decisions, he has simply dropped off too much. So, my question is who is making those decisions for him? Who exactly is inching us closer to war in Europe? I guess if you can believe that Biden is actually making the decisions then it does make sense we are in the mess we are in since we all saw the 'sharp', 'cogent' or 'best ever version of Biden' on full display.

I have said for a some time that Biden will be replaced as he was declining too much to win. It seems many are finally coming around to this fact. Do you guys think negativaly on the administration or the media for lying this whole time? All the talk about 'fakes' and 'cheap fakes' were simply gaslighting the voter base.

Newsome? Whitmer? Michelle Obama? Who do you all think will be the replacement for El Cid?

I think Newsome but I have no idea how they get Jill to agree to step down much less ask Kamala to not run.
Sorry. He is not “declining” in the manner that you would love to be true.

Now, Trump is in the throes of dementia. But that doesn’t bother you.
 
Sorry. He is not “declining” in the manner that you would love to be true.

Now, Trump is in the throes of dementia. But that doesn’t bother you.
Sure. You know the debate was on the TV and a lot of people watched it, correct? We all saw what you saw, we can just admit it.
 
how exactly does one come to this conclusion?

Even if someone is unsatisfied with his administration how you think Trump is better for democracy?
====================================================

.............A Washington Post-George Mason University poll released this week contains good news and bad news for the Biden campaign. First, it shows that Biden has made substantial progress in convincing voters that democracy is indeed on the ballot. The survey of voters in swing states found that 61 percent say “threats to democracy” are extremely important to them.

Unfortunately for Biden, this same poll shows he is failing to persuade people that voting for him is the best way to preserve and/or improve democracy. Forty-four percent of surveyed voters in those states say that they believe Trump is best equipped to deal with threats to democracy, compared with only 33 percent who favor Biden to do so.

The news gets worse for Biden if we focus just on “undecided” voters. Among that group, 38 percent trust Trump as the preserver of democracy. Only 29 percent trust Biden on the democracy issue.

As the Post puts it, “The results offer troubling indicators for Biden, who needs voters who may be unenthusiastic about his candidacy to decide they must reject Trump to preserve America’s system of representative government.”

Biden’s problem, beyond the voters not recognizing him as the custodian of democracy, is that he is an incumbent at a time when many voters are deeply dissatisfied with the way democracy is now functioning. Voters can look at what he has done during his time in the Oval Office to improve democracy. They don’t like what they see. .........

 
how exactly does one come to this conclusion?

Even if someone is unsatisfied with his administration how you think Trump is better for democracy?
====================================================

.............A Washington Post-George Mason University poll released this week contains good news and bad news for the Biden campaign. First, it shows that Biden has made substantial progress in convincing voters that democracy is indeed on the ballot. The survey of voters in swing states found that 61 percent say “threats to democracy” are extremely important to them.

Unfortunately for Biden, this same poll shows he is failing to persuade people that voting for him is the best way to preserve and/or improve democracy. Forty-four percent of surveyed voters in those states say that they believe Trump is best equipped to deal with threats to democracy, compared with only 33 percent who favor Biden to do so.

The news gets worse for Biden if we focus just on “undecided” voters. Among that group, 38 percent trust Trump as the preserver of democracy. Only 29 percent trust Biden on the democracy issue.

As the Post puts it, “The results offer troubling indicators for Biden, who needs voters who may be unenthusiastic about his candidacy to decide they must reject Trump to preserve America’s system of representative government.”

Biden’s problem, beyond the voters not recognizing him as the custodian of democracy, is that he is an incumbent at a time when many voters are deeply dissatisfied with the way democracy is now functioning. Voters can look at what he has done during his time in the Oval Office to improve democracy. They don’t like what they see. .........

Strange take considering the voters decided on Biden to be the Dem delegate but some powerful dems are talking about usurping the power of the electors. How does that protect 'democracy"? Unless the new word for 'power' is 'democracy' to the left.
 
how exactly does one come to this conclusion?

Even if someone is unsatisfied with his administration how you think Trump is better for democracy?

Probably a similar way Susan Collins thought trump "learned his lesson" the first time he was impeached, and/or how she was gullible enough to believe those supreme court noms were telling the truth about certain past decisions being settled matters.
 
how exactly does one come to this conclusion?

Even if someone is unsatisfied with his administration how you think Trump is better for democracy?
====================================================

.............A Washington Post-George Mason University poll released this week contains good news and bad news for the Biden campaign. First, it shows that Biden has made substantial progress in convincing voters that democracy is indeed on the ballot. The survey of voters in swing states found that 61 percent say “threats to democracy” are extremely important to them.

Unfortunately for Biden, this same poll shows he is failing to persuade people that voting for him is the best way to preserve and/or improve democracy. Forty-four percent of surveyed voters in those states say that they believe Trump is best equipped to deal with threats to democracy, compared with only 33 percent who favor Biden to do so.

The news gets worse for Biden if we focus just on “undecided” voters. Among that group, 38 percent trust Trump as the preserver of democracy. Only 29 percent trust Biden on the democracy issue.

As the Post puts it, “The results offer troubling indicators for Biden, who needs voters who may be unenthusiastic about his candidacy to decide they must reject Trump to preserve America’s system of representative government.”

Biden’s problem, beyond the voters not recognizing him as the custodian of democracy, is that he is an incumbent at a time when many voters are deeply dissatisfied with the way democracy is now functioning. Voters can look at what he has done during his time in the Oval Office to improve democracy. They don’t like what they see. .........

A kid that I work with, who probably won't vote but still, said to me that he thinks all of this ai and deepfake stuff is being used to frame Trump on crimes he did not commit.

You cannot underestimate the stupidity and ignorance of the average person.
 
Strange take considering the voters decided on Biden to be the Dem delegate but some powerful dems are talking about usurping the power of the electors. How does that protect 'democracy"? Unless the new word for 'power' is 'democracy' to the left.
Yeah, but this very much would be a special circumstance should Biden step aside.. and that I'm aware of there's no other real way to deal with it.
 
A kid that I work with, who probably won't vote but still, said to me that he thinks all of this ai and deepfake stuff is being used to frame Trump on crimes he did not commit.

You cannot underestimate the stupidity and ignorance of the average person.
I think he might have been talking about the new tech of 'cheap fakes'. Who coined that term? I don't think stupidity lies only in one party, that much is painfully obvious.
 
Yeah, but this very much would be a special circumstance should Biden step aside.. and that I'm aware of there's no other real way to deal with it.
I think you are right. If Jill decides it is time to throw in the towel and Joe actually does step down, that would make Kamala the POTUS and you know she will run for reelection. If not, how do you get Kamala to not run and allow someone else that is electable to run? Supreme Court nomination?
 
The White House is going to have to do everything it can to put surrogates minds at ease.

I know there have been anonymous sources saying a decision all rests with Jill Biden, but I have to believe it's more complicated than that. Hard to imagine Barack, for instance, doesn't have a lot of influence with Joe. As it is, the people who interact with him on a regular basis, or are otherwise part of his inner circle, aren't, as far as I can tell, the ones expressing concern and panic. It's the people on the outside. The debate performance is out there so the White House is going to have to contend with it.

The strange thing is people in Obama's camp/admin have been critical. David Axelrod, and John Favareau(obama speechwriter, not director) have both come out with some variation of "replace, or heavily consider it".
 
That's the narrative you guys run with against Biden, but Trump isn't mentally competent himself. The only reason we're in this place is because too many of you people watched "The Apprentice" and mistook it for reality.
Actually the reason we got Trump was Obama.
 

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