Watching the disaster unfold Thursday night, I considered jumping in and changing this. But honestly, what need be said? Joe Biden started the debate feeble, almost wide-eyed, staring at the ground, as if in shame, as Donald Trump bloviated and lied. Biden rallied, at points, but it was too late. The fiasco was so painfully clear, any Democrat watching realized it almost immediately. I suppose that is a comfort — at least we can recognize a new reality —well, new to the public — in front of our eyes. Turns out the Republican libel was right. Now as to whether anyone will do anything about it, well, I wish I had hope of that. Something could happen. But, to paraphrase Renault in "Casablanca," that would take a miracle, and the Republicans have outlawed miracles. Or, rather, the Democrats have. We did this to ourselves. We made our bed. Now we have to lie in it.
My profession has lots of rules. Spelling rules, grammar rules, usage rules. People quoted in stories ought to both actually exist and have said the words attributed to them. Were I to tuck in a sentence like, "'I think the mayor is a fumbling stumblebum,' said John Q. Chicagoan, relaxing in the bleachers at Comiskey Park ..." my boss would be on me like a ton of bricks.
Writing authoritatively about events that have not yet occurred is also frowned upon. The ideal way to comment on Thursday night's debate between President Joe Biden and former president and, oh, dear God, perhaps future President Donald Trump would be to watch it and then craft my opinion on the fly while it is happening.
But that's problematic, too. The debate began at 8 p.m. and lasted 90 minutes. I might have spent this column discussing an exchange in the first hour when, five minutes before the end, CNN producers will have had to pry the candidates' fingers off each other's throats. That would look stupid, or worse. I remember a colleague who lost her job after reviewing a concert she left early, remarking on songs that were never performed.
Besides, I know of one thing that definitely, 100%, take-it-to-the bank was going to happen Thursday night. Or, to be more precise, not happen.
OK, again, lots of things might not have happened. The whole debate might not have come off at all. Trump might not have shown up — people kept saying that, citing his proven track record of cowardice. After protesters scuppered a Chicago campaign appearance in 2016, Trump never showed his face at a public event in Chicago again and certainly never will. A distinction that should be added to the city seal, perhaps replacing the naked baby on a clam shell.
Or the debate could have been incomplete. The TV lights could have melted Biden like a wax figurine under a blowtorch. He could have crumbled to dust and been blown away on the hot gale of Trump's nonstop jabbering. Anything is possible.
But of the range of possibilities, there is one thing I was 100% certain wasn't going happen, even though it is tucked into the very name of the event under consideration: the first 2024 presidential debate. I'll give you a hint. It is certainly presidential — one current and one former president was there. But the presidential debate wasn't a debate. Did anybody expect otherwise?
Did you tune in, expecting the presentation of arguments? The marshaling of relevant facts? One candidate shrugs off the very idea of factuality, living in a constantly changing fantasy hall of mirrors that millions and millions of Americans are all too glad to wander alongside him in, docile as lambs.
To continue reading, click here.
Writing authoritatively about events that have not yet occurred is also frowned upon. The ideal way to comment on Thursday night's debate between President Joe Biden and former president and, oh, dear God, perhaps future President Donald Trump would be to watch it and then craft my opinion on the fly while it is happening.
But that's problematic, too. The debate began at 8 p.m. and lasted 90 minutes. I might have spent this column discussing an exchange in the first hour when, five minutes before the end, CNN producers will have had to pry the candidates' fingers off each other's throats. That would look stupid, or worse. I remember a colleague who lost her job after reviewing a concert she left early, remarking on songs that were never performed.
Besides, I know of one thing that definitely, 100%, take-it-to-the bank was going to happen Thursday night. Or, to be more precise, not happen.
OK, again, lots of things might not have happened. The whole debate might not have come off at all. Trump might not have shown up — people kept saying that, citing his proven track record of cowardice. After protesters scuppered a Chicago campaign appearance in 2016, Trump never showed his face at a public event in Chicago again and certainly never will. A distinction that should be added to the city seal, perhaps replacing the naked baby on a clam shell.
Or the debate could have been incomplete. The TV lights could have melted Biden like a wax figurine under a blowtorch. He could have crumbled to dust and been blown away on the hot gale of Trump's nonstop jabbering. Anything is possible.
But of the range of possibilities, there is one thing I was 100% certain wasn't going happen, even though it is tucked into the very name of the event under consideration: the first 2024 presidential debate. I'll give you a hint. It is certainly presidential — one current and one former president was there. But the presidential debate wasn't a debate. Did anybody expect otherwise?
Did you tune in, expecting the presentation of arguments? The marshaling of relevant facts? One candidate shrugs off the very idea of factuality, living in a constantly changing fantasy hall of mirrors that millions and millions of Americans are all too glad to wander alongside him in, docile as lambs.
To continue reading, click here.
Your last paragraph said it all. Despite that, we must still vote.
ReplyDeleteI know you had to finish your latest column long before zero hour, Mr. S, so you didn't know what was going to happen. Il Douche was his usual assoholic self, and he behaved pretty much as expected. As Trumpy as ever. Same shit, different year. But Joe had a bad night. He looked and sounded awful.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he had a cold, like folks are saying. Maybe he choked under the strain...this was his idea, so he's been rehearsing for a week. Maybe his...um...longevity...is finally catching up with him. Whatever the reason, it was a night to forget. I hope people do. If they don't...we're screwed, blewed, and tattooed.
We're in big trouble.
ReplyDeleteWhat a debacle. Trump lying about everything. Biden looking and sounding every bit his age. Not a single instance of fact checking by anyone. No mention of the Supreme Court. No mention of Project 2025. Biden rebounded a bit toward the end, but too little much too late. Still, there is no alternative but to vote for Biden. Another Trump term is unthinkable. It would be disastrous and fatal for Democracy.
ReplyDeleteBiden did briefly refer once to Project 2025 but not by name.
DeleteI thought Biden did briefly refer to Project 2025 but not by name. He got too mired in details and stats when he should have presented a bigger picture: "How can you believe anything this man says with more than 30,000 documented lies during his presidency?" "Why is he still running on 'Make America Great Again' if his first term was such a resounding success?" "It should be obvious to everyone that his entire MO is to make Americans as fearful as possible so that he can convince them he is their savior. He didn't save anyone except the very wealthy the first time around." "The main reason he is running for President is to quash the inevitable guilty verdicts in the federal legal proceedings against him if he wins." Something along those lines.
DeleteAfterwards, they said Biden had a cold, which is why his voice sounded so bad & so soft. He certainly did flub a couple of things, you could also tell when he was about to have his lifelong stutter, he paused to get the right word but sometimes didn't.
ReplyDeleteBut the fat traitor just lied & lied & lied & then lied about the lies!
The structure of the debate didn't give Biden anytime to correct the lies & the two clueless CNN hosts never corrected the liar!
And then the liar would continue his lies, when they asked a new question, but he then went back to the last question, because he had more lies to tell. It was the job of the host to tell them, answer the question I asked you, not one you've made up in your head!
And there were a couple of time near the end where they left both mics on & the fat traitor was talking over Biden.
But no one ever corrected the traitor's lies that Biden indicted him, the Justice Department & the NY County DA did that.
ABC did a fact check on a few things that were said, afterwards & the two things the traitor said were rated false & the one Biden said was rated partially true.
"So it’s incorrect to say that Americans have become a small, shallow, petty, aggrieved people. More accurately, we always were and now are being reminded." Yes. And it's crystal clear that what's left of the "respected" mainstream media have aided and abetted these features of our society in too often providing news coverage that emphasizes performance over substance (and have done so for a time so long that too many have accepted that view and can't imagine how it should be different). Any rational person who listened to the actual words last night would have declared Biden far and away the winner of what will continue to be the best we can muster for the country and the world in these challenging times. I will re-read Heather Cox Richardson's commentary today to try to maintain my sanity.
ReplyDeleteWho in the Democratic Party brain trust thought this would be a good idea? Trump's a showman, a carnival barker, a motormouth who can firehose streams of bullshit faster than a normal brain (or media fact-checkers) can process. I recall various great minds talking about Trump dropping out of the debate. What a set-up. Hook, line and sinker.
ReplyDeleteCue up the Democrats' circular firing squad. The media feeding frenzy has begun and the only thing we'll hear about from now until the election is this debate and Biden's age.
If only one name appeared on the ballot, yes or no, would you vote for Joe Biden, after what can't be unseen?
ReplyDeleteThe politicians reflect the people, not the other way around.
ReplyDeleteHappy to have shuffled off years ago.
trump gave Biden plenty of opportunities to shine but Joe couldn't take advantage of it. at his best Biden was feeble even when he tried to project outrage and show the stark difference between the character of the two candidates. I feel bad for our fellow citizens that these are our choices for a leader.
ReplyDeleteSadly today we are facing the fact that Joe can't continue as president with no reasonable alternative available to replace him. Still the party needs to seriously consider nominating someone else. Joe should withdraw his name from consideration and show himself to be the true patriot we know him to be.
Let the delegates choose from Harris, Newsom , Whitmer, Polis, Pritzger and Shapiro. trump can be beaten. But not by Joe
We need to have that conversation. Sooner rather than later.
DeleteI comforted myself by thinking that Trump’s wave of nonsensical bullshit was hard for a normal person to process and reply to there was time to practice. Biden should start every question with “That’s a great question, but before I answer I’d like to remind everyone that he is a delusional liar. To your question…”
ReplyDeleteTo his credit, Biden did say true things in English.
I felt much the same as all of the above, just from watching the highlights last night. I was too much the coward to watch in real time. But at a rally in Raleigh today Biden was forceful and cogent, 180 degrees from last nights debacle. My guess is he'd suffered a mini-stroke just before the opening bell. The Democrats problem is a lack of long term planning and the total abandonment of back room deals. The radical Right has been plotting for decades. Buying local politicians in small states, gerrymandering whenever they had a majority, spreading lies through dishonest media combined by cancelling regulations, and buying the Supreme Court. Democrats nearly imploded because a few female congresswomen preferred Hilary. The Biden I saw today is up to the task, but Dems better be working on a Plan B.
ReplyDeleteThe best that can be said, from what I heard on the radio while driving home that evening, was that the moderators kept tight control over the speaking times and the microphones. I am stuck for trying to compliment anything else. They did regularly remind both candidates that the question being asked was [thus and so], to give them an opportunity to actually answer what was being asked of them, after either making a retort to the previous question instead or simply going into the weeds on the current one, but beyond that, the moderators did nothing to challenge even the most egregious falsehoods.
ReplyDeleteThey had more control over the candidates' responses, and who would be heard when, than in any other previous debate in my memory, but failed to do anything further in terms of being knowledgeable moderators who could push back or follow up on questions that were not answered well. They squandered numerous opportunities to hold Trump's feet to the fire over his torrent of nonsense at the instant he said it, since they had working microphones and Biden, at that same moment, did not.
I doubt that Trump's answers and general behavior brought anyone new over to his side, but Biden's performance was just distressing. Unfortunately, to me it looks far too late to do anything useful about that. All we can hope for is that voters can recognize and pick the significantly lesser of two evils. Well, one is evil; the other is just... lesser.
We passed the School, where Children strove
ReplyDeleteAt Recess – in the Ring –
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –
We passed the Setting Sun –
Or rather – He passed Us –
The Dews drew quivering and Chill –
For only Gossamer, my Gown –
My Tippet – only Tulle –
We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground –
The Roof was scarcely visible –
The Cornice – in the Ground –
Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity –
A couple things that I would suggest about his performance was that it was later at night and sometimes old people struggle after a long day. Don't we all and that they had told him not to cough because there's been a lot of complaints about him coughing and so he didn't clear his throat properly so that he could speak more clearly.
ReplyDeleteWhen he walked out onto the stage you know he usually has a crowd of people in front of him and he looked for them and they weren't there and so he just said hello to the moderators and that seemed to throw him off from the get.
Today's rally was earlier in the day he had a teleprompter and the energy of the audience clearly affected him positively. Would that he were as energetic last night, but do we disregard last night because today he was doing better? Don't you got to be the president 24/7 365? It's hard for anybody. It's just going to be harder for him