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It\u2019s the second presidential debate!\u00a0 And here are my comments, live-blog style.\u00a0 Scroll down to the bottom for my ultimate thoughts.\u00a0 But first:\u00a0 I apologize for the picture, which actually does not represent what went on at this debate.<\/p>\n
The moderator says:\u00a0 mikes will be muted unless it\u2019s your turn to speak.<\/p>\n
To Trump:\u00a0 how would you lead the country in the next phase?<\/p>\n
Trump:\u00a0 a world-wide pandemic, spikes in Europe right now.\u00a0 Mortality rate down 85%, excess mortality rate way down and lower than any other country.\u00a0 Spikes in Florida, Texas, Arizona now gone.\u00a0 Other spikes will also soon be gone.\u00a0 Vaccine will be announced within weeks.\u00a0 I had coronavirus and got a theraputic\/cure and got better and they say I\u2019m now immune.\u00a0 It\u2019s a worldwide problem but I\u2019ve been congratulated on what I\u2019ve been able to do.\u00a0 We\u2019re making ventilators.\u00a0 We\u2019re rounding the corner.<\/p>\n
Biden:\u00a0 220,00 Americans dead.\u00a0 Anyone who\u2019s responsible for that many deaths should not remain president of the United States of America.\u00a0 Compared to Europe, we\u2019re starting from a very high rate.\u00a0 If we just wore masks, we could save 100,000 masks.\u00a0 I would make sure we encourage everyone to wear masks all the time, I would increase testing.\u00a0 I will end this, I will make sure we have a plan.<\/p>\n
Mod:\u00a0 is the vaccine within weeks a guarantee?<\/p>\n
Trump:\u00a0 by the end of the year.<\/p>\n
Mod:\u00a0 What companies?<\/p>\n
Trump lists.<\/p>\n
Mod:\u00a0 You say coming within weeks but your experts say it will take until next year.<\/p>\n
Trump:\u00a0 We have the military working on this.\u00a0 100 million vials.<\/p>\n
Mod:\u00a0 Biden, only 40% of Americans will take a vaccine, how will you give them comfidence?<\/p>\n
Biden:\u00a0 make sure it\u2019s transparent.\u00a0 We\u2019re about to go into a dark winter, he has no plan available.<\/p>\n
Trump:\u00a0 Biden told me I was xenophobic when I closed the country to China; Biden led the swine flu and it was a disaster; only because it was less lethal was it not a total disaster.\u00a0 Every move that Biden says we should do, is what we\u2019ve done.<\/p>\n
Biden:\u00a0 Trump shut down China too late.<\/p>\n
Blah blah blah.<\/p>\n
Trump:\u00a0 Biden locked himself in a basement; Americans can\u2019t do that.<\/p>\n
Moderator reclaims:\u00a0 to Biden, you said you would shutdown again; what about the impacts?<\/p>\n
Biden:\u00a0 I would shutdown the virus, not the country.\u00a0 Huh?\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>He gives a non-answer, saying we need plexiglass dividersending with his trademark \u201cCome on.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 New York is dying.\u00a0 We have to open up.\u00a0 We have to protect our seniors, our elderly.\u00a0 We have the best testing in the world by far.<\/p>\n Mod:\u00a0 you called Fauci a \u201cdisaster\u201d.\u00a0 Who are you listening to?<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 I get along with all of them but Fauci did say, \u201cdon\u2019t wear masks.\u201d<\/p>\n Next topic:<\/p>\n National Security<\/p>\n Intelligence officials have confirmed Russia and Iranian interference.<\/p>\n Biden, what would you do?<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 I made it clear that these countries will pay a price.\u00a0 but he\u2019s unspecific about what \u201cprice\u201d and then he brings up the disproven claim of \u201cbounties.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 your family got $3.5 million from Moscow.\u00a0 Putin and Iran want me to lose.\u00a0 I have implemented sanctions, have gotten NATO countries to put up more money to guard against Russia, I sold weapons to Ukraine.\u00a0 Now Trump goes into the e-mails<\/em> \u201cthe horrible e-mails with the money you were raking in.\u201d \u201cI think you need to talk to the American people.\u201d<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 \u201cI have not taken a penny from any foreign source at any time in my life.\u201d\u00a0 I have released all of my tax returns.\u00a0 You have not released a single solitary year of your tax returns.\u00a0 China\u2019s paying you a lot.\u00a0 Russia\u2019s paying you a lot.\u00a0 What are you hiding?<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 we\u2019re under audit.\u00a0 I did not pay $750, I prepaid tens of millions of dollars.\u00a0 I don\u2019t make money from China, you do.\u00a0 I don\u2019t make money from Ukraine.\u00a0 You do.\u00a0 Your son said, \u201cwe have to give 10 percent to the big man \u2013 that\u2019s you.\u201d<\/p>\n Mod:\u00a0 when will you release your taxes?<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 when the audit is done.<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 show us your taxes.<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 I was put through a phony witch hunt that started before I was elected with spying on my campaign.<\/p>\n Wow \u2014 the moderator is now asking about Ukraine and Burisma, Biden now insists no corruption.\u00a0 \u201cMy son has not made money from China.\u201d<\/p>\n Mod to Trump:\u00a0 Since you took office, you didn\u2019t divest from your businesses.\u00a0 How do we know you aren\u2019t engaged in corruption?<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 everything is disclosed.<\/p>\n Mod:\u00a0 let\u2019s talk about China.\u00a0 Would you make China pay?<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 I would make Biden play by the rules.\u00a0 I would reject China\u2019s requirement that investors partner with a Chinese firm.<\/p>\n To Trump:\u00a0 What will you do?<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 Tariffs.\u00a0 They paid $28 billion, they devalued their currency.<\/p>\n Not Biden throws in his general response to the Hunter allegations:\u00a0 we should talk about your families, not my family.\u00a0 Because your families are hurting.<\/p>\n Mod:\u00a0 Now North Korea.\u00a0 Norks ruled out biggest-ever ICBM.\u00a0 Was this a betrayal?<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 Barak Obama had predicted a nuclear war, but it didn\u2019t come to pass, so it\u2019s OK.<\/p>\n Mod:\u00a0 Biden, how would you solve this?<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 I would make it clear.<\/p>\n American families and the economy \u2014 healthcare.<\/p>\n Mod:\u00a0 what would you do if Obamacare is overturned?<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 I terminated the individual mandate.\u00a0 And even though Obamacare is bad, I told my people \u201crun it as well as you can.\u201d<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 I\u2019m going to pass Obamacare with a public option.\u00a0 If you qualify for Medicaid but your state doesn\u2019t offer it, we\u2019ll have a public option.\u00a0 I doubt this is how this is described on his site.<\/em><\/p>\n Mod:\u00a0 what do you say to people who say your plan brings us closer to government-run insurance.<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 that\u2019s stupid.\u00a0 I beat all the other candidates who had socialist plans.\u00a0 Then Trump mentions Social Security and Biden uses that as an excuse to mention Social Security and the payroll tax issue.<\/p>\n Mod:\u00a0 Americans are out of work and in poverty.\u00a0 They see Washington fighting over a relief bill.\u00a0 Why hasn\u2019t it been approved?<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 Pelosi won\u2019t approve it because she wants to approve because she thinks it helps her politically.<\/p>\n Mod:\u00a0 to Biden, why haven\u2019t you pushed the Democrats to make a deal?<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 they passed the HEROES Act.\u00a0 (that is, ignores the fact that the HEROES Act is pork-laden and Pelosi rejects a slimmed-down bill).<\/em><\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 the bill in the House was a bailout of Democrat-run cities and states.\u00a0 Was giving money to illegals.\u00a0 Spending money on things that had nothing to do with covid.<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 I don\u2019t see red states and blue states, and every state finds themselves in trouble.\u00a0 Founders were smart, they allowed the federal government to deficit-spend.<\/p>\n Mod:\u00a0 is this the right time to raise the minimum wage?<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 Yes, and we should bail out the small businesses, too.<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 I would consider it to an extent, but not to a level that would put businesses out of businesses; it should be a state option.<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 first responders are being paid less than $15\/hour.\u00a0 Anything less than that is poverty level.\u00a0 No, actually, it\u2019s not.<\/em><\/p>\n Immigration<\/p>\n Mod:\u00a0 something something separating children.\u00a0 How will you reunite families?<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 rambles on about coyotes, Obama\u2019s children in cages.\u00a0 When pressed, \u201cwe are working on it.\u201d<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 These separated children came with parents.\u00a0 \u201cIt makes us a laughingstock.\u201d<\/p>\n Mod, to Biden:\u00a0 why didn\u2019t you fix immigration before?<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 I was only vice president.\u00a0 In my first 100 days I will send to Congress a legalization program for 11 million.<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 Biden had catch-and-release.<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 claims that the asylum seekers actually showed up for their hearings.<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 Catch-and-release is a disaster.\u00a0 We would take their name and release them.\u00a0 Less than 1% of people came back, we had to send ICE and Border Patrol to find them.\u00a0 They don\u2019t come back, they never come back.\u00a0 Only those with the lowest IQ come back.<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 that\u2019s not true.<\/p>\n Next section:\u00a0 Race in America.\u00a0 \u201cThe talk\u201d \u2014 parents who prepare their children what to do if they are unfairly targeted by the police.<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 the fact of the matter is, there is institutional racism in America, but we have been moving the needle toward inclusion, until Trump.<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 Biden used the word \u201csuperpredator.\u201d \u201cnobody has done more for the black community than Donald Trump \u2014 except for possibly Abraham Lincoln.\u201d\u00a0 Criminal justice reform, opportunity zones, long-term funding for HBCUs.<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 I never said \u201csuperpredator\u201d but Trump said mean things and pushed for the Central Park 5 to get the death penalty.<\/p>\n Mod, to Trump:\u00a0 why do you say bad things about BLM?<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 the first thing I saw of it was \u201cpigs in blanket\u201d; I that was horrible.<\/p>\n Mod:\u00a0 what do you say?<\/p>\n Trump:\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what to say, it makes me sad, I am the least racist person in the room.<\/p>\n Biden:\u00a0 Trump is one of the most racist presidents we\u2019ve had in American history.\u00a0 (Maybe it was recent American history.)<\/p>\n At this point \u2014 well, I got bored.\u00a0 Apparently even Biden started looking at his watch.\u00a0 So here:<\/p>\n If I were a truly undecided voter, I don\u2019t know that this debate would help me.\u00a0 But Trump was less Trump-y, for what it\u2019s worth, though he still failed in one of his apparent goals; he attacked Biden repeatedly about the allegations that he was a part of Hunter Biden\u2019s profiteering off family connections with Ukraine, China, etc.\u00a0 Given that the media has been suppressing the story (\u201cthe laptop is a Russian forgery, except the touching father-son exchanges!\u201d), Trump really needed to start from scratch on the story:\u00a0 \u201cmost people probably don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on because the media is suppressing the story, but Hunter Biden\u2019s business partner today confirmed the authenticity of e-mails saying that my opponent\u2019s son was trading on family connections and forwarding a portion of the proceeds to his father.\u00a0 The claims that Joe Biden is spotless and incorruptible are a lie!\u201d\u00a0 But instead he just lobbed accusations that viewers are likely not to have made any sense of.<\/p>\n Trump also needed to have really pushed the point that Joe Biden\u2019s claim of solving COVID amounts to nothing more than continuing Trump\u2019s existing plans.\u00a0 He also had some points that he kept repeating:\u00a0 \u201cBiden said I was xenophobic!\u201d \u201cChildren in cages were Obama\u2019s fault!\u201d etc.\u00a0 And that really boils down to his inability to really master a substantial amount of content.<\/p>\n But the overall tone of the debate was \u2014 well, boring, in a good way.\u00a0 The microphones were muted for the two-minute response period, but not afterward, but the moderator did an amazing job keeping them in check, and Trump \u2014 well, I wondered whether he had practiced, so as to not lose his cool.\u00a0 He clearly wanted to interrupt, the moderator kept saying, \u201cno,\u201d or giving him a small number of seconds, and he accepted it.\u00a0 There were a number of times when she basically said, \u201clook, I know you think you need to get in the last word rather than let something Biden said, stand, but we need to move on.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Image:\u00a0\u00a0V0050236 A fist-fight between Lord Brougham and Lord Melbourne as Pea It\u2019s the second presidential debate!\u00a0 And here are my comments, live-blog style.\u00a0 Scroll down to the bottom for my ultimate thoughts.\u00a0 But first:\u00a0 I apologize for the picture, which actually does not represent what went on at this debate. The moderator says:\u00a0 mikes will be muted unless it\u2019s your turn to speak. To Trump:\u00a0 how […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2209,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1468,1471],"class_list":["post-17635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-2020-election","tag-debates"],"yoast_head":"\nThe bottom line.<\/h2>\n
\nCredit: Wellcome Library, London. Wellcome Images
\nimages@wellcome.ac.uk
\nhttp:\/\/wellcomeimages.org
\nA fist-fight between Lord Brougham and Lord Melbourne as Peachum and Lockit. Coloured lithograph by H.B. (John Doyle), 1837.
\n1837 By: John DoylePublished: 22 October 1836
\nCopyrighted work available under Creative Commons Attribution only licence CC BY 4.0 http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"