Trump was Trump, less wild, but just as lying and motormouth. Maybe making his conspiracy-loving base proud, but not attracting anyone else.
Biden was Biden, occasionally stumbling, but emerging as the saner, more professional, decent one. And man, gotta admire how he held his cool during the mudslinging. Trump failed to “light him up.”
If you were a fact-checker, no contest. Can’t wait for that report.
If you were a suburban mom, put off by Trump’s inhumanity, you likely stayed put off.
Key, telling moments:
1. Trump boasting over and over “I am the least racist person” . Gee, that must have sealed the deal for skeptical people of color. Right along with his browbeating: I’ve done more for black people than all presidents since Lincoln. That’s right Donnie, guilt them over to you.
2. Biden taking a pause and saying: “Look, you know the both of us and you see what this is all really about: our character.”
3. Trump desperately flinging conspiracy accusations of Biden making money off China and the Russians (that I later learned were at best, unsupported claims about Hunter’s business, not Joe’s.) and Joe taking it in and finally countering with: I never took such money and you see all my tax returns to track anything. Mr. Trump: where are your tax returns? What are you still hiding? BANG.
4. Trump pathetically trotting out the “still in audit” and coming soon excuse from four years ago. (Notice the absence of anyone holding their breath.) Another Trump lead balloon hits the ground.
5. Favorite pandemic reveal: Trump inflating hope on a COVID vaccine about to drop and Kristen Welker (moderator) taking him up on it: Great to hear, so exactly when? (A few weeks, you’ll see.) Okay, but give us a date? (Um, I don’t know.) Fizzle. And Joe: it’s been a few weeks now for a few months. (That Trump Tire now flat, again.)
6. Trump’s health-care plea: Just let us kill off all of Obamacare and we’ll magically, instantly replace it with something better, that I can’t detail right now. (or ever) Then Biden calmly laying out an ACTUAL plan to expand health care. No Donald, you didn’t reel in any new fish there.
7. Trump’s ineffectual attempts to pin on Biden, “far left” platforms of defunding, climate and energy policy, etc.. (by Bernie, AOC plus three, plus imaginary others); and Joe saying: I don’t know who you think you’re debating, but I’m the one running, not them.
Many more moments,
but you’ll read them in other articles, I’m sure.
Most memorable gestures:
-Biden shaking head, chuckling, alternating with looking to the Heavens for making sense of Trump’s torrent of nonsense. I can relate!
-Trump doing frantic accordion-hands (both arms going out and in like he just came from his concertina lesson). This gesture seems to get more persistent with lying. Probably a visual flag.
What now?
GOTV, GOTV, GOTV.