Finally, the debates are here

The presidential debate will happen this week at 8 p.m., Thursday — the day the paper is published. I do not know what to expect from the spectacle. Let us hope it is, at the least, entertaining.

I personally would like a forensic Lincoln/Douglas debate format. However, the people who put on the presidential debates in this era want a moderator. This format is conducive to zingers and one-liners, which makes for good TV, but not a good debate on issues.

The pundits have given their advice on how each interlocutor should act. Former President Trump is a much more seasoned politician than when he first ran and has learned from his mistakes. President Joe Biden’s mental acuity is the talk of the pundit sphere. I am sure President Biden will perform adequately.

The pundits have focused on how this presidential debate will test the mettle of each man. I am more of a policy wonk, so I would want more analysis on how to combat certain issues rather than a horse race or showcasing of personalities. The horse race has more glitz and glamor than the nuanced minutiae of policies from each candidate. The debate is one of the few times in which policies are front and center. And both candidates have a record to defend from their first term in office; no one has the benefit of speaking entirely in hypotheticals.  

The Biden camp speculated that, given the one-sided rules and with CNN hosting, that Trump would not accept the gauntlet Biden threw down with this debate offer. But Trump gladly picked up the gauntlet, seeming eager for the joust. CNN is clearly hostile towards Trump. 

Also, CNN has been known to help their preferred candidate. One example of

this: Former CNN Commentator Donna Brazile gave Hillary Clinton a question in advance of her primary debate vs. Trump. CNN has since severed ties with Brazile, according to the New York Times. 

With that, I am expecting a three-on-one debate: both moderators and Biden against Trump. If this happens, my thought is that it will backfire. It will just add fuel to the fire that the the establishment is out to get Trump. 

Suppose Trump is restrained, somber and charming during the debate. Not making any points or countering any of Biden’s assertions. Suppose Biden is vibrant and recondite to all the moderators’ questions.

At the end of the debate, Trump gets to speak last due to losing a coin toss (Biden, upon winning the toss, chose the right side — the viewers’ right — of the debate stage). At this time, he can ask the famous Reaganite question, one that both of the main candidates have asked the public while campaigning: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?”  

Biden cannot escape. The next day, viewers of the debate will go to the grocery store, put gas in the car, and experience inflation firsthand. The next day, they will see on the news the chaos at the border. Do they feel safe from violence and crime in our nation? The next day, the viewers will experience everyday realities that Biden cannot escape.

And I know that the next day, the mainstream media will praise Biden’s bravura from the debate. He will be declared the winner, similar to the State of the Union address where one pundit referred to Biden as Franklin Delano Roosevelt-like, because of his superb oratory skills during the speech. To be sure, many pundits had unflattering remarks. But it is their default to praise Democrats — and call Republicans evil, comparing them to Hitler and other derogatory epithets.

Watch the debate, root for your guy — and if you are undecided, I hope you learn more about the issues you are passionate about, which will empower you to make your choice. This is why I hope the public is getting a substantive, policy-driven discussion. You’ll find out if that’s the case the night you received this paper.