A few questions come to mind about the Biden and Trump debate this Thursday:
Will it be a train wreck for one or both? Does Biden have enough control left in him to stay on track and deliver the responses prepared for and drilled into him whether or not they pertain to the questions? Can Trump summon enough discipline to respond cogently and not let himself be baited. If the moderators are unfair the audience will see it and judge accordingly.Trump needn’t pick a fight with them on stage.
If FJB proverbially or actually sh*ts his pants on stage are the Dems still locked in with him? I lean toward it not making a lot of difference as far as Trump winning as they are on a loosing trajectory at least as to an honest election and a moderately competent Trump and GOP campaign. The wild card for Dems being the possibility of Trump eating a live rat on stage.
The Dem bench is weak and or unknown. Weak would be Harris, Newsom, Moochelle and frankly the often touted Michigan Governor Whitmer. the often talked about Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro is largely an unknown character. Biden or Harris are absolutely the weakest the Dems can present with but they may have to.
In any case they will have to run by fear-mongering about Trump implying Biden is less dangerous than Trump no matter how many Depends he uses a day. They will push a “vote Party, our candidates are interchangeable” approach. That is kind of obvious and actually from a civics standpoint (running as a Party) something appropriate, except you still have to demonstrate competence and sentience in leadership.
Biden and or Harris while being their weakest candidates for a variety of internal reasons are largely locked in other than at the extremis. Republicans, realizing those two are the Dems absolutely weakest possibilities should have been concentrating heretofore on the Dems’ likely strategy – running as Party and not helping them fret and abandon Biden and Harris until it is too late — their August convention.
Republicans and conservative allies should be tying all Democrats together with ads on key policy issues beginning months ago rather than focusing on Biden who people can see is a demented old fool. Engage a little rope-a-dope allowing them to think Biden isn’t so bad intellectually, but do point out how their policies are devastating and evil. Open the book more on Biden after he is confirmed.
There are reports that the Trump campaign is now downplaying expectations about Biden being a likely disaster at the debate (which Trump allowed to happen too early).
The debate as a decisive event has been the Trump animating force in previous weeks for Trump rather than being a little Br’er Rabittish and allowing Biden’s nomination to be affirmed ‘organically’ . . . letting the Dems be saddled with Biden all the while fighting the real November fight against all Democrats and their policies. Biden is pathetic and everybody knows that.
If the reports are true I am not sure it is because the Trump people now realize a little rope a dope is timely and that they are also running against a Party OR is it that they fear Biden will be self-contained for a couple hours and it dawned on them there is also a chance Trump could falter.
