I was at a dinner tonight and didn’t watch the Trump/Harris debate, which is now drawing to an apparently wretched end. Based on my family’s chat line–we are all conservatives–I take it that the debate was a disaster for Trump. He rambled, talked about himself, didn’t focus on the issues that can win for him, and let Kamala off the hook. Kamala, meanwhile, was nursed along by the moderators, didn’t have to say much, and stood by while the moderators “fact checked” Trump. She came out sounding pretty reasonable and was rarely challenged on her record or her extreme proposals.
One observer with a normal perspective, Dave Portnoy, tweeted that “I don’t think this is going well for Trump so far at all.”
In my opinion, Trump was never very good in debates, and at 78, his age is showing. He needed to put his ego and his various obsessions aside, and talk about the border, the cost of living and crime. Instead, he “ranted randomly”–as my Republican family saw it–and let Kamala off the hook.
On Twitter, lots of conservatives are agonizing over Trump’s performance while saying that these moderators have set a new low. Ben Shapiro tweeted that the moderators are “a disgrace to their profession.” But I suppose that depends on what you assume their profession is. If you think they are Democratic Party operatives, they are doing pretty well. But again, is there something surprising about this? Trump should have been prepared for it.
Readers can weigh in via comments. Maybe some saw the debate more optimistically. I suspect our best hope is that not many undecided voters were watching. Also, that Trump doesn’t agree to any more debates.
Trump still might win. The betting markets will probably swing Kamala’s way after tonight, and maybe the bettors will prove correct. But the election was always going to be close, and it still will be.
I think the Republican Party is paying the price for its obsession with Trump. We have many candidates who would have been well-prepared tonight, and could have demolished Harris. But a clear majority of Republicans didn’t want any of those candidates. They wanted Trump. Well, they got him.
I fervently hope that Trump wins. With almost equal fervor, I am glad that after three successive presidential cycles, we will never again have to go through an election season defending Donald Trump.
No doubt some readers–including some who actually watched the debate!–will disagree violently. Go ahead and speak up in the comments.
UPDATE: That didn’t take long. Delighted with Trump’s performance, Harris’ campaign is now calling for a second debate in October. Let’s hope Trump doesn’t agree.
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