The first presidential debate showdown between former President Donald Trump, the current presumptive GOP nominee, and President Joe Biden, running for a second term to finish the work of obliterating the greatest nation to ever exist in world history, is rapidly approaching and it’s looking to be an exciting night of verbal fisticuffs featuring the brutality of early UFC events, mixed with the over-the-top theatrics of Wrestlemania.
I, for one, cannot wait to tune in. How about you?
According to a new report from Yahoo, the rules are now set for the epic battle of wits between these two men with opposing plans for the future of the U.S. Maybe that’s the wrong way to phrase it, seeing as our current commander-in-chief is a little short in the wits department, as if he were the intellectual Billy Barty. That’s the guy who was stuffed inside Artoo-Detoo in the original “Star Wars” trilogy. I think you get what I’m saying here.
The pair of candidates will not be giving any opening statements. Each will have a total of two minutes to answer a question, followed up by a minute to offer a rebuttal or a response to a rebuttal. A red flashing light will serve as a warning that the candidate has five seconds left, before going solid, indicating the time has officially expired. Once the time is up, the candidate’s mic will be muted.
The candidates will get a breather during two commercial breaks, according to debate rules provided by CNN to the campaigns and reviewed by The New York Times, but they will be barred from huddling with advisers while off the air.
The first presidential debate of the 2024 cycle is less than two weeks away, and both campaigns are racing to prepare for the first showdown sponsored directly by a television network in more than a generation. The 90-minute contest in Atlanta on June 27 is circled as one of the most consequential moments on this year’s campaign calendar, as Biden and Trump will outline their sharply contrasting visions for the nation, appearing together for the first time since their last debate, in October 2020.
The two men are readying themselves for the debate in ways almost as different as their approaches to the presidency itself. The Biden operation is blocking off much of the final week before the debate, after he returns from Europe and a California fundraising swing, for structured preparations. Trump has long preferred looser conversations, batting around themes, ideas and one-liners more informally among advisers. He held one session at the Republican National Committee headquarters this past week.
Trump and Biden like each other as much as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence liked each other in “The Karate Kid.” Is there a possibility that the two might walk away from the event with a bit of mutual respect for the other like the two fictional characters mentioned above in the recent hit series “Cobra Kai?”
You have a better chance of opening up a successful Popsicle stand in Hell.
Trump repeated refers to Biden as the worst president this country has ever seen. There’s a lot of evidence to support that claim if I’m being honest. Meanwhile, the current commander-in-chief refers to Trump as a potential dictator who is a threat to democracy. A little melodramatic, right?
The rules circulated by CNN warn that this time, “moderators will use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure a civilized discussion.”
And then there is this: “Microphones will be muted throughout the debate except for the candidate designated to speak.” It is not clear how muted microphones will work in practice — whether the types of memorable moments (Al Gore’s sighs or Barack Obama’s “you’re likable enough” aside to Hillary Clinton) that have defined past debates will be lost entirely. The candidates will appear without a live audience and at lecterns determined by a coin flip.
The unusually deep personal animosity between the two men is both an X factor for the debate and a key consideration for their strategies. The Trump campaign thinks a winning approach is exposing Biden being Biden; the Biden campaign sees a winning debate as letting Trump be Trump.
Since it’s been quite a while since either of the two have done a debate, there’s going to be a bit of rust they’ll need to shake off. Of course, even if Biden does manage to shake it off, there’s the fact that his mental acuity is as sharp as a spoon, which poses additional challenges for him throughout the event.
Many on both sides are wondering if Trump will bring up the whole ordeal about Hunter Biden being convicted of felony gun charges. I think he’d be stupid not to, especially once the conversation turns to the topic of gun rights, and you can bet your backside it will.
Will Biden mention Trump’s felony conviction? Of course he will. I don’t see how he could possibly not use that weapon against his nemesis.
While CNN has tried to take measures to try and reduce surprises and nastiness, this is a highly contentious battle for the very future of the country. No holds are barred, even if the host network wants to do so. It’s just not going to happen. Trump will defend himself and go on the counter attack because that’s just who he is. We’d expect no less.
Regardless, this is going to be quality entertainment. Be sure not to miss it.