The First 2020 Presidential Debate
The first presidential debate was widely regarded as a shit show, but that wasn’t entirely how I felt about it. Calling it a shit show implies that everyone involved detracted from what the event could’ve been, and that isn’t what happened. Rather than type ad nauseam about the many aspects of this debate that could be analyzed, I’m just going to give my thoughts on some key moments and how I perceived each candidate and their debate strategies.
BIDEN
Biden’s strategy seemed to be to ignore Trump’s petty insults, fact check his most egregious lies, call out his hypocrisy and his ineffectiveness, and to communicate his own plans when possible. It was a tall order given Trump’s behavior, but he faired well enough, and I think people recognize that most of the incivility and interruptions were coming almost exclusively from the other side of the stage.
He did a great job of not lingering on Trump’s baseless attacks and moving back to the issues he wanted to talk about, at times looking at the camera and speaking directly to the viewers about what he intended to do if elected, ignoring Trump’s antics and interruptions in the background.
You could tell he was trying to remain calm, and while he never lost his cool, it was evident that he got annoyed a few times, but that annoyance led to several good lines:
Early on in the debate where it became clear that Trump had no intention of allowing anyone else to talk, Biden said to a flailing Chris Wallace: “You’re not gonna be able to shut him up.
At one point, fed up with Trump’s aimless interruptions, Biden exclaimed “Will you shut up, man?”
In response to Trump’s cavalier attitude toward the number of COVID-19 deaths: “It is what it is because you are who you are.”
He flatly called Trump a clown and a racist.
"You're the worst president America's ever had."
TRUMP
Donald Trump had roughly two coherent responses, and spent the rest of his time making blunt interjections, tactless interruptions, and talking over not only Joe Biden, but over moderator Chris Wallace as well. His conduct was so bad that Wallace had to remind him during the debate that he was breaking the rules he agreed to. He behaved like a playground bully.
Trump is behind in the polls, and this was a good chance to make up some ground. His debate performance against Hillary Clinton was a huge boon for his 2016 campaign, so I’m sure his 2020 campaign was hoping the debate would boost their poll numbers this time, too.
Despite the significance of this event for Trump’s campaign, there isn’t very much to analyze in the way of his debate strategy: his only goal seemed to be to talk over Biden and the moderator as much as possible, and the “points” he made were nearly all ad hominem attempts to destroy Biden’s character. It was a similar approach to the one he took in 2016, but with one key distinction: this time, it didn’t work.
Joe Biden is not Hillary Clinton. Biden wasn’t in the center of the national spotlight for decades before ending up on the debate stage, and while he’s less well known, he’s generally more likable and people find him honest and sincere. Blaming the muck of the D.C. swamp on Hillary Clinton was easy for Trump to do as a political newcomer. It was nearly impossible for him to do this time, now that he’s been in charge for the past four years and virtually nobody (except the top 1%, perhaps) is better off than they were in 2016. The only argument Trump can make is “yeah things suck right now, but they would be worse with Joe Biden”, which isn’t exactly a home run message. I doubt anyone who wasn’t already in Trump’s base watched this debate and came away from it thinking he was the more reasonable candidate.
KEY MOMENTS
As expected, Wallace raised the issue of Trump paying just $750 in federal income tax. Trump’s response was that he paid “millions of dollars” in federal income tax, and that “you’ll get to see it” as soon as he’s able to release his tax returns. He claims that he can’t release his tax returns right now because he’s under audit, but it’s worth noting that he used the same excuse in 2016. Also worth noting, being under audit does not prevent you from releasing your tax returns. Every president is required to be audited by the IRS, and they all managed to release their tax returns.
At one point, Joe Biden was talking about his late son Beau Biden’s military achievements. Trump interrupted Biden, saying “I don’t know Beau, I know Hunter” and proceeded to antagonize him over Hunter Biden’s prior struggle with cocaine. Joe acknowledged this, saying that like a lot of people, his son did have a drug problem but that he overcame it, and that he was proud of him. In the midst of the opioid crisis, it was an extremely tone deaf and downright cruel interjection from Trump, and it teed Biden up for a heartfelt moment that would resonate with millions of Americans who’ve been affected by substance abuse and addiction.
The biggest takeaway from this debate was when the moderator asked Trump if he would condemn white supremacy. Trump initially said that he was prepared to do so, but he immediately tried to change the subject. When pressed by Biden and Wallace to actually denounce white supremacy, Trump’s response was to tell the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by”. It was less a denunciation than a call to arms. The Proud Boys like his message to them so much that they put it on t-shirts. It goes without saying, but whether Trump is truly a white supremacist or whether he feels he can’t afford to alienate even a single, fringe member of his shrinking base is not the point.
WHAT’S NEXT?
In the wake of Trump’s COVID diagnosis, it seems hugely unlikely that the second and third presidential debates will go forward as planned, if at all.
Reports indicate that Trump knew he had been exposed prior to the first debate, yet refused to warn the Biden campaign or give anyone a heads up that he could’ve been contagious; it’s criminal negligence. It’s also disrespectful and irresponsible that the Trump family didn’t wear masks for the duration of the debate: if they take them off next time, kick them out. Better yet, just don’t allow them inside the venue in the first place.
If I were running the Biden campaign, I would insist on much stronger health precautions if more in-person debates are to occur.