First presidential debate (12 Viewers)

[Optimus Prime]

Since we usually have a separate thread for these
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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.………..

How Biden and Trump are taking very different approaches to preparing for next week's debate

President Joe Biden is beginning an intense period of private debate preparations at Camp David. His trip comes as officials in both parties scramble to set expectations for what may be the most consequential presidential debate in decades.

apnews.com

 

[Incumbent]

 

[SteveSBrickNJ]

I

For what it’s worth



Full Text:

I no longer blame @POTUS Biden for not stepping aside. He no longer has the mental acuity to make important judgments about himself. It is becoming increasingly clear however that the fault lies with
@FLOTUS Jill Biden.

FL Jill Biden becomes irrelevant the moment her husband is no longer president. No more Air Force One. No more glamorous life. No more White House dinners for dignitaries. No more being treated like a queen when traveling the world.

I am sorry to be harsh, but what has become entirely clear is that the First Lady values what is best for herself over her husband’s health and the safety and security of the country at large. Stress is a contributor to neurological deterioration and the doctors must have told her so.

Think about how much stress she is putting Biden under by making him continue. Now in public appearances she treats him like an infant (‘You answered every question!’) or an old man as she walks him off the stage. And she gets the crowd wound up and cheering at events. Perhaps she thinks the crowd is cheering for her.

Her power has clearly grown as he gets weaker. And she likes the feeling of power. She speaks for the president when he can’t or when he is napping. She tells his team and staff when he is available, and when he is not.

She likes being in control. We all do. Which begs the question, how many decisions of the president are actually made by the FL?

Her ‘friends’ likely don’t tell her the truth as they want to continue to be invited to the White House and to be able to say that they are friends with the FL and the president. Jill Biden is destroying her own legacy along with the president’s. The

whole thing would just be a tragedy for the Biden family if it didn’t put the country at greater risk in a world in turmoil. Perhaps she didn’t understand what ‘in sickness and in health’ meant.

I don't know if this rings true or is too harsh. The two people who posted emojis don't know the inside story either. Just sayin'

 

[MT15]

I

I don't know if this rings true or is too harsh. The two people who posted emojis don't know the inside story either. Just sayin'

He doesn’t know shirt either. That why I didn’t care for it. It is rampant speculation.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

I know and I hope it’s accurate and holds. It’s all a non-issue for me since I’m voting for the Dem ticket, regardless. But apart from that, I like Harris and think she’s capable. I do worry that it’s like the backup QB being the most popular player on a team with a struggling starter. We won’t know what we really need to know until a change is made and a new candidate hits the campaign trail.

To be fair, she's definitely grown in the 4 years under Biden's wing after the disastrous campaign and rough first few months of the administration.

 

[zztop]

the truth is that none of us really know for sure what the best way forward is to defeat Trump.

...I know the best way... lets just say it isn't legal though lol

But also, I just had a brilliant idea how Biden can turn this around. He needs to go on stage, crush a beer can on his head, then let out a mighty bellow, and bodyslam someone through table. I think that would dispel a lot of people's worries.

 

[bdb13]

...I know the best way... lets just say it isn't legal though lol

But also, I just had a brilliant idea how Biden can turn this around. He needs to go on stage, crush a beer can on his head, then let out a mighty bellow, and bodyslam someone through table. I think that would dispel a lot of people's worries.

I told my wife before the debate that Biden should just go up there and say "Donald Trump does not give a fork about you or this country," and walk off.

Pretty sure it would've went over better.

 

[SamAndreas]

You have created a strawman. Congrats.

You are arguing about a fictional conditional topic that I've never stated, nor anyone in this thread I believe.

Have fun with that.

Edit to add: I'm going to try one last time in good faith. If you had a coworker, that saw you on conference call, and then messaged you privately, and asked if you are ok. They then followed up and inquired if you have ever taken a cognitive decline test. Would you describe that person as having full faith, and support in your abilities?

This is not hard. You guys are willfully obtuse it seems. It's a small topic that you and Sam just won't let go.

Not actually, since that last round I let it go and didn't think about it further. I'm not even thinking about it now.

What I'm thinking about is how to respond to your mention of me, in error, because I did let it go.

I was down in my basement shop playing with my engine lathe.

 

[SamAndreas]

I’ve watched him speaking a few times this week, including today at some weather emergency management event. Seems like the Joe Biden we already know. Granted, that’s distinct from the pressures of a debate and he was awful in the parts of that I’ve seen.

Pretty much anything we say is repetitive at this point. Concerns are out there and the White House has to address them or his campaign is doomed. That’s the way it works.

The debate was the abnormal gas lit fake reality with that lying Criminal being unbelievably unhinged. Judge the Criminal for the gaslighting food fight event which wasn't actually anything like a debate.


Biden speaking where he's been since is operating in the real and sane reality, make your judgments about him based on him speaking there.

 

[LA - L.A.]

For what it’s worth



Full Text:

I no longer blame @POTUS Biden for not stepping aside. He no longer has the mental acuity to make important judgments about himself. It is becoming increasingly clear however that the fault lies with
@FLOTUS Jill Biden.

FL Jill Biden becomes irrelevant the moment her husband is no longer president. No more Air Force One. No more glamorous life. No more White House dinners for dignitaries. No more being treated like a queen when traveling the world.

I am sorry to be harsh, but what has become entirely clear is that the First Lady values what is best for herself over her husband’s health and the safety and security of the country at large. Stress is a contributor to neurological deterioration and the doctors must have told her so.

Think about how much stress she is putting Biden under by making him continue. Now in public appearances she treats him like an infant (‘You answered every question!’) or an old man as she walks him off the stage. And she gets the crowd wound up and cheering at events. Perhaps she thinks the crowd is cheering for her.

Her power has clearly grown as he gets weaker. And she likes the feeling of power. She speaks for the president when he can’t or when he is napping. She tells his team and staff when he is available, and when he is not.

She likes being in control. We all do. Which begs the question, how many decisions of the president are actually made by the FL?

Her ‘friends’ likely don’t tell her the truth as they want to continue to be invited to the White House and to be able to say that they are friends with the FL and the president. Jill Biden is destroying her own legacy along with the president’s. The

whole thing would just be a tragedy for the Biden family if it didn’t put the country at greater risk in a world in turmoil. Perhaps she didn’t understand what ‘in sickness and in health’ meant.

"Alex, I'll take what does sexism combined with ageism look like for $1,000 dollars."

 

[LA - L.A.]

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.

I have to be a mouth breather at times, because my sinus are so messed up their are times I can not breathe at all through my nose. I often joke, that if anyone ever ties me up and tapes my mouth such, I'll probably suffocate to death within an hour. It's funny because it's true.

 

[LA - L.A.]

It would probably be Whitmer, and not Newsom. If you are going by the best candidate based on resume, and pedigree it's Newsom, but Whitmer is from a swing state.

And neither one of them poll better than Biden or Harris in head to head polling against Trump.

So what do you have besides a gut feeling that makes you think Witmer or Newsom would do better than Biden when polling says they would not.

On the issue of campaign funding which is essential, Whitmer and Newsom would be starting with $0.00 in comparison to Trump's over $100M.

What objective data and rational are you using that tells you a Withmer or Newsom who polls the same as Biden and Harris, and would be at an over $100M dollar spending disadvantage to Trump has a better chance of winning than Biden or Harris.

Is there some objective data or rational that you know of that shows Whitmer or Newsom has a better chance that Biden or Harris? If so, please share it with the rest of the class.

 

[LA - L.A.]

This will do nothing to convince anyone if it's not live.

Since you seem to think the majority of people think like you do, I'd like to know if you're going to vote for Biden if he's on the ballot.

It's not a gotcha, it's a sincere question. Since you seem to think that people won't vote for Biden after the debate and that most people think like you, it seems to me that you're not going to vote for Biden if he's on the ballot.

If you are still going to vote for Biden, why do you assume that most others won't? I genuinely want to better understand where you're coming from.

 

[LA - L.A.]

Obama took office during the 08 housing crisis. Trump took over an economy in it's 90ish month of economic upswing. What conditions are you talking about here?

HRC was horrible at campaigning. She might have won with just one change, sucked it up and gave Sanders the (ceremonial) vp slot. What the heck was Tim Kaine bringing to the table?

Edit to add: In your world view do you really think Trump could beat Obama if he could run for a third term? Obama would be up 15. Trump would have dodged every debate.

The obvious blacklash (not a typo) against Obama says otherwise. Things are very different now than they were in 2008 and 2012.

 

[LA - L.A.]

Here is the acutal doc:

https://puck.news/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SUNDAY_Post-Debate_Landscape_2024_06_30__1_-1.pdf

From that document:

Nothing about this poll makes any argument for replacing Biden, let alone a strong or definitive argument. Let's break it down objectively and rationally.

The spread is Biden at the low end with 47.5% and Whitmer at the high end of 49.7% in the a two way tipping point state.

That's a whopping 2.25% spread from a poll that is suspiciously lacking it's margin of error. I've never seen a poll that had a margin of error of less than 2.25%.

It's irrational to think this poll proves that any of them have a better chance than any of the rest of them. It's a statistical dead heat among all of them. So it's weird to me that you just say "they all do better than Biden" which misleading suggests they are all doing significantly better than Biden, when as a matter of objective fact they are not doing significantly better than Biden.

The Name Recognition Adjusted formulas are highly subjective and I think they should be ignored, but let's look at those as well. Biden's at the low end of the Tipping Point State at 47.5% and Buttigieg & Whitmer are tied at the high end with 51.1%. That's a whopping 3.6% spread and most likely well within the margin of error. As a general, it's wise to be suspicious of any poll that doesn't provide it's margin of error for exactly this reason.

What this poll rationally suggests is that it's not time to freak out about replacing Biden, because none of the alternatives have a real advantage over Biden and everyone of them except Harris would be starting out at a $0.00 dollar to Trump's over $100M to spend right out the gate with no hopes of catching up in four months. That's a severe and impactful disadvantage that would be hard to overcome.

Also keep in mind, only Biden is being attacked at the moment. None of the other candidates have been attacked by Trump. Republicans and PAC's. Even with that benefit the other candidates only have statistically irrelevant leads over Biden. What happens when they are the candidate getting attacked?

No one knows, but what we do know is that even with all the attacks and the poor debate performance Biden is in a statistical dead heat with the other candidates who have no money and have not been attacked. It's completely irrational to conclude that any of the other candidates have a definitive advantage over Trump.

 

[LA - L.A.]

Their is a huge contingent of major party players, and donors that think Biden needs to be replaced.

The above is in large part a direct result, by design, of the below part.

The NYT have been vicious.

 

[LA - L.A.]

Lloyd Doggett becomes first sitting Democratic member of Congress to call on Biden to withdraw | CNN Politics

Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett becomes the first sitting Democratic lawmaker to call on President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race, a huge moment for the Democratic party as Doggett says publicly what many lawmakers and elected officials had been speculating about privately.

www.cnn.com

You're putting out massive schadenfreude vibe.

 

[LA - L.A.]

His handlers, and family literally hid him from the media. What are you talking about?

Biden Has Held the Fewest News Conferences Since Reagan. Any Questions? (Published 2023)

As President Biden prepares to announce his bid for a second term as soon as Tuesday, his decision to keep the news media at arm’s length is part of a deliberate strategy.

www.nytimes.com

What a crock of shirt. Biden has never been one to get in front of the camera more than he has to.

 

[LA - L.A.]

I can admit it. I saw that awful Criminal lying at a rate of about ten lies per minute. One lie about every six seconds. I don't think he said anything that was true.

There was an obvious snafu in quoting to whoever actually said this, because it wasn't me.