The 2020 Debates

“The debates are going to be so important aren’t they? In a year where everything is so unusual, where we really have not seen Joe Biden under stress, under pressure, the way we always see presidential candidates, hitting the campaign trail with 3, 4, 5 stops a day, he’s not doing any of that. So, the first real glimpse of him by the American people will be those debates. It’s a big moment for both candidates, but I think a bigger moment for Joe Biden.” Ari Fleischer, former Press Secretary for President George W. Bush. And this is not the first time that I have quoted him.

If one takes a real good look at Ari Fleischer’s quote regarding the upcoming three debates, despite whatever spin the orthodox, radical extremists of the socialist liberal left put on “Hidin’Joe” Biden’s performances, this will expose Biden’s inability to not only govern the nation, work in concert with allied countries, deal with America’s enemies, grow the economy, but will demonstrate once and for all to see, his failing cognitive skills, in that he’s nothing more than a puppet for The Deep State, Komrade Bernie, the four miscreants of the squad and by no means is a law and order POTUS, as it took him months to lightly condemn the anarchists torching Democratic run cities.

Additionally, Biden will not be allowed to use a teleprompter to support his time on stage, but don’t be surprised if he has an earpiece being fed responses to questions. Unless of course Biden receives the questions ahead of time, which gives him time to prepare. One doesn’t have to go to far back to see a former Democratic candidate who received the questions ahead of one debate from Donna Brazile, former Chair of the DNC, who happened to work for CNN. And we are talking about the 2016 Democratic candidate, Hillary Clinton, who got absolutely stomped and out debated by a neophyte politician. Remember, Hillary cheated and still lost.

Over the course of American political history there were major debates between candidates of opposing parties and some fascinating debates between members of the same party vying for their party’s nomination. In 2016, big time underdog Donald John Trump took on 17 Republican members of the political establishment and is now in the White House. And it absolutely makes the radical extremists of the socialist progressive liberal left crazy with Trump Derangement Syndrome.

During the same 2016 Presidential season, the Democrats saw Obama’s former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, duke it out with socialist Komrade Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Despite Hillary representing the moderate liberal left, there was clear evidence that she essentially bought the nomination at the cost of $25M, which was lent?/given to the DNC. Why did this happen? It happened because the soon to be ex-POTUS, Obama himself, funneled big money to his Democratic progressive base running for office. This drained the DNC treasure chest.

Historically speaking, in 1858, there were seven debates between challenger Abraham Lincoln (R), yes the same guy who became #16, and the incumbent, Senator Stephen A. Douglas (D)for U.S. Senate position from Illinois. The Lincoln-Douglas debates were true, face-to-face debates, with no moderator. Both candidates took turns to open each debate with a one-hour speech, then the other candidate had an hour and a half for rebuttal. Finally, the first candidate closed the debate with a half-hour response. Douglas was later re-elected to the Senate by the Illinois legislature. Lincoln and Douglas were both nominated for president in 1860 by their respective parties, while their earlier debates helped define their respective positions in that election, they did not meet during the 1860 Presidential campaign. The 1858 debates were covered nationwide, which set up Lincoln for the win during 1860 Presidential campaign. But can you imagine sitting/standing for hours listening to each candidate?

There was one POTUS who actually turned down the opportunity for an open debate. In 1940 as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was running for an unprecedented third term, GOP nominee Wendell Wilkie became the first 20th century presidential candidate to offer a challenge his opponent in a face to face debate. Roosevelt refused! While Michael Bloomberg (D-R-I-D) flipped parties like he worked at Burger King, Wilkie was a staunch Democrat until he flipped in in 1939 to run against FDR.

Willkie appealed to many convention delegates as the Republican field’s only interventionist. The United States remained neutral prior to December 7, 1941, the Japanese sneak attack on the US Naval Base at Pearl Harbor. Wilkie favored greater U.S. involvement in World War II to lend support Britain and other allies. President Franklin Roosevelt won the 1940 election with about 55% of the popular vote and took the electoral vote by a wide margin. You normally don’t elect a new president in times of war, and the economy was rebounding from the Crash of 1929. I believe that we have a parallel….rebuilding the military and a revitalized economy. POTUSFDR & POTUSDJT!

After 1948, which saw the election of President Harry S. Truman, presidential candidate debates became a reality when a radio debate was held between Governor Thomas E. Dewey (R-NY) and Governor Harold Stassen (R-MINN) during the party’s presidential primary. The DNC televised the 1956 primary between Governor Adlai Stevenson (D) of Illinois and Estes Kevauver (D), who had been a member of The House from 1939-1949 and the Senate from 1949 until his death on August 10, 1963. On a side note, Stevenson won the Democratic nominations in both 1952 & 1956, losing both times to Dwight Eisenhower. Stevenson tried again in 1960, but lost a third attempt to John F. Kennedy, who appointed him the United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 1961 until his death on July 14, 1965, in London, after attending a UN conference in Switzerland.

The first televised general election presidential debate was held on September 26, 1960, between Senator John F. Kennedy (D-MASS), the Democratic nominee, and Vice President Richard Nixon (R-CA), the Republican nominee, in Chicago at the studios of CBS ‘s WBBM-TV. The camera did wonders for Kennedy, who was charismatic, a good looking guy and a decorated war hero. Nixon, who was a brilliant politician, was not given any favors by the camera. Nixon was reportedly scared to death to be on camera. During the debate Nixon appeared to be gaunt and had pale appearance because he refused television makeup and it looked like he needed a shave. Additionally his suit color blended in with the debate set background. All this factors led to his defeat. Picky, picky voters.

Throughout his political career, Nixon’s expertise was in foreign policy, which put him ahead of Kennedy. Apparently, Nixon usually handled himself well on the radio, but in 1960, television was still a developing medium.

The 1960 debate drew over 66 million viewers out of a population of 179 million, making it one of the most watched events television history. The 1980 debates, saw GOP candidate Ronald Reagan verbally slice apart the incumbent, President James Carter, which drew 80 million viewers out of a population of 226 million. A record-breaking audience of over 84 million people watched the first 2016 presidential debate between GOP candidate Donald John Trump and the Democratic scoundrel, the carpetbagging Hillary Clinton, and the number that does not reflect online streaming.

Throughout the history of of Presidential debates, an overwhelming majority of them were not decided on points, but on knockout lines. Each debate can be won through personality, zingers and memorable lines, and by beating expectations. President Donald John Trump is absolutely the better, and sharper, candidate, because there may be no more talented president when it comes to off-the-cuff zingers dripping with humor and points that stick. He’s not afraid to rumble.

And speaking of “The Great Communicator”: “Age will not be an issue during this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience,” President Ronald Reagan quipped during the 1984 presidential debates when asked if, at 73, he is too old to be President. The line, a classic example of Reagan’s sense of humor , even solicited a laugh from Democratic opponent Walter Mondale. One line can win an election!

Over the course of the last few months both POTUSDJT & Biden have faced questions during town hall meetings and questions from the unprepossessing dregs of cosmopolitan biased, cultural supremacist, corporate mainstream media. The major difference is that President Donald John Trump faced tough, in your grill, type of questions, some couched in a disrespectful, harsh, condescending manner. On the flip side, Biden was presented questions that were not tough enough to break a window. Furthermore, it became obvious that the questions were planted, as Biden’s responses were read from a teleprompter. On more than one occasion, Biden either said he couldn’t read the ‘prompter or he asked it to be straightened out. And even with that, he got lost and went on tangents. And people are really going to vote for this puppet?

I do wonder what will happen if President Donald John Trump absolutely buries “Hidin’Joe” Biden during a public forum? Will he be replaced, most likely by Kamala Harris? Will the DNC find an excuse to cancel the remaining two debates?Will Biden be even more sequestered than ever before? Will Biden suddenly come down with COVID-19, despite having six people, six feet apart, during his pressers and drawing microscopic crowds during the odd whistlestop? Nevertheless, will POTUSDJT take mercy on Biden and is there a mercy rule?