Peggie Noonan, Republican speech writer for Bush and columnist for the Wall Street Journal, wrote the objectives Trump and Harris need to achieve in tonight’s debate: Trump has to prove he’s sane, Harris needs to show good faith.
Karl Rove, long-time Republican strategist, believes the winner of this Presidential Debate will win in November. Kamala Harris is the better debater…but will that matter?
In a recent poll, 91% of the people asked about the Presidential Debate said they would watch it. Are you going to watch the Debate?
Almost certainly. Ever suspicious of the reliability of polls, I suspect Trump will have alienated enough people beyond his cult to lose this election, though of course losing will not stop his attempts to overturn the results (and hope to keep himself out of jail).
Less than fully conscious (as well as fully conscious) chauvinism against women, and Indian and African Americans, will almost certainly play a role in the actual voting, as well the desire of some evangelical Xians and others to believe that Trump is their god’s imperfect instrument, which can help him too much in too many “key swing states”–a concept that only exists because we retain the idiotic remnant of our anti-democratic origins, the Electoral College. Only Democratic candidates have been robbed of their actual victories so far by it, but presumably the DP folks make no effort to rid us of it since it perpetuates fantasies of Safe States (which can be safely ignored) and Battleground States (to focus on to an often ridiculous extent). Ranked choice voting should be nationwide, as well. It will help if Harris doesn’t panic and attempt to “overcorrect” on such matters as fracking, which she seemingly flip-flopped over so as to blunt the foolish notions that the DP is Anti-Business, when if anything the neoliberals in the DP, which have included Harris, have if anything been too cooperative with mega-corporations. While Trump is basically and increasingly senile blithering idiot know-nothing, which is just how far too many resentful Republican voters like him. He’s the Bad Boy they admire for his corruption and incontinence. And some token notion that his inability to not embezzle from his various businesses he manages to start and tank as demonstrating Outside the Box thinking. But at least he Owns the Libs! More important to too many of them than any actual good ideas about administering a country or anything but keeping afloat his desperate self-delusion of his own superiority, as the malignant narcissist he has presumably been for at very least his theoretical adulthood.
At least some of the better prognosticators of US elections (in terms of their record of predicting the winners correctly) seem to think Harris will win the election, as I do, but coming across as sane and competent will certainly help her in this, even as the babbling of Trump and Sen. Hillbilly Resentment should be helping her already more than they may have.
https://www.theatlantic.com/press-releases/archive/2024/09/atlantic-october-issue-trumps-antidemocratic-actions/679752/
Todd, thanks for the link! Diane and I subscribe to to THE ATLANTIC.
Ballotpedia’s coverage today; https://info.ballotpedia.org/dm?id=2B3B6F1FA28C76A12B710910FE2717A3762DFB16DFBF1C68
Allan Lichtman’s prediction of Harris’s election victory: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/05/harris-election-allan-lichtman
Todd, I’m hoping this Presidential Debate isn’t a deja vu moment. Hillary Clinton had the lead and the Debates hurt her. Trump showing up to that October Debate with some of the women Bill Clinton slept with wasn’t a fun moment.
Well, the Clinton campaign was an amateur hour from start to finish, which hurt her worse. Her projected sense that she thought she knew everything she needed to know in every given circumstance also not helpful. And, of course, she still won.
The Electoral College must go.
Todd, the Electoral College was concocted to appease the Slave States at the founding of our nation. Now it appeases Red States.
IOh, I’m aware. Insufficient reason for it to continue to exist. Doing away with it wouldn’t be That difficult.
Count the lies.
Ha! You’ll need a mechanical or electronic clicker…
True that. On Dave Barry’s blog, fans had a drinking game whenever Jack Bauer said certain words on 24 – “perimeter” being one. If you took a drink every time Trump lied, you’d be unconscious in the first 20 minutes. No, Peggy, he can’t prove he’s “sane” because he isn’t. Look up the definition of sociopath and Trump’s face might as well be there. Win or lose, it is scary to me how many people are OK with voting for him for a third time. It is a very sad – yes, and scary – commentary on this country and the mentality of too many of its people.
Jeff, and it doesn’t help that the Russians are pouring millions on U.S. “Influencers” to help Trump win.
Dan, I think the Over/Under on Trump’s Debate lies is 666 tonight.
I’m still up in the air whether I will watch or not. It will be far more satisfying and certainly more educational to watch the late night comics have at it afterwards.
I am concerned about the MAGA crowd. Outside of its dupes and useful idiots, I fear those who should (and perhaps do) know better but are blinded by the fear of admitting they were wrong about their Tangerine King and will double down out of pure cussedness. I know Harris will win the popular vote by a wide margin, but it’s the pesky electoral college that has me sweating bullets…
Jerry, the Tangerine King and his MAGA followers threaten “retribution” if Trump loses. We know what that’s like…
Be it noted, Noonan was also Reagan’s speech writer, gilding the noxious lily of that Administration too. I’ll watch the debate and turn off the TV before the talking heads of ABC, CBS, and NBC begin to weigh in with their fatuous observations.
Fred, political commentary tends to be mediocre on ABC, CBS, and NBC. And FOX.
I read the last one via NYT’s commentators. That was hard enough. I don’t think I can watch it sitting here alone. It makes a big difference.
Patt, I’m hoping my Blood Pressure medication keeps me calm during the Debate. I might have to add a glass of wine!
No—I don’t think I can watch it. I think I have PTSD: Post Trump Stress Disorder.
PTSD: Pure Trump Senile Derangement?
Nothing pure about Trump. Harris didn’t “win” with any great flourish, but did appear sane in comparison.
Deb, I suspect most of us has Post Trump Stress Disorder. I’ll watch some of the Debate tonight. Diane plans on watching it all plus the MSNBC commentary afterwards.
Yes, he said it – “They’re eating the dogs and cats.”
She finally pushed him over the edge.
Jeff, the poor lonely childless cat women now have immigrants eating their cats! Trump has really lost it!
Did he really say that “she puts out”? Is this a junior high school locker room?
Sheesh.
I managed to miss that. You Know, They Let You, after all.
I think he was clumsily referring to (political) position notes. that She Puts Out.