Listen, my original plan going into this debate was to write an article as unbiased as possible – it really was. At about two minutes in, it became apparent that being un-opinionated about what I was seeing was not an option. If you missed it, I’m talking about none other than the 2020 Presidential Debate that happened Tuesday night, featuring Democratic Presidential Nominee, Former Vice President Joe Biden, and Republican Presidential Nominee, President Donald Trump. I think it’s safe to say that 2020 was not the year we thought it was going to be back in January. With the world being physically and metaphorically on fire with 3 more months to go – this debate definitely followed suit. So, in true 2020 manner, I compiled a list of some of the reasons why this debate was truly unlike any other!
- Trump’s Unquenchable Racism
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Now, I’m not sure why Trump can never go without racism. When talking about the COVID-19 pandemic, he called it the “China Plague.” The first time he was called upon to condemn white supremacists after Charlottesville he said there were “very fine people on both sides.” Then when asked to denounce white supremacy again during the debate, all he had to say to Proud Boys and other nationalist-paramilitary groups was to “Stand back and stand by.” Meanwhile, Trump wasn’t shy to make statements during the debate about how racial sensitivity training for federal government agents is “radical” because they “make America seem like a bad place” by painting it as racist. He has been given the option time and time again to denounce racism and white supremacy, but instead he makes like his taxes and evades it.
- “Do you pledge to accept the outcomes of the election?”
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Does this country seem like it’s in a good spot when this question has to be asked? This question wasn’t asked in the debate casually either. Chris Wallace made them pledge to it like they were in a frat bid. If you were curious about the nominees’ answers, Biden said that he would respect the outcome of the election and Trump said he would, only if he didn’t think the votes were manipulated during counting. Trump’s tentative answer is most likely a result of his opposition to mail-in voting, which was mentioned in the debate.
- Chris Wallace’s Moderation
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Before the debate, when I was naive, I saw that Fox News correspondent Chris Wallace would be moderating and thought that would give Trump a leg up because of the network’s constant praise of the president. Oh boy, did I give Trump too much credit. It felt like there were more arguments, cross-talk, and scolds from the moderator than there was a debate. Trump treated Chris Wallace like an unruly child would to an under-qualified babysitter. I think there will forever be a voice in my head belonging to Wallace that says “Mr. President, Mr. President, NO!” Thoughts for the next debate: make sure the nominees’ microphones have mute buttons.
- Biden’s Ideological Tipping Scale
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While Trump can dodge questions about white supremacy and tax evasion without missing a beat, Biden faced a challenge during the debate to cater to both his centrist-leaning Democratic base and progressives – think Bernie Sanders supporters. This led him to confirm the existence of systematic racism, but reject defunding the police. He believes in climate change, but he doesn’t support the Green New Deal. Trump harped that Biden was losing his “far-left” voters by not being in support of these things while simultaneously calling him a socialist for his healthcare plan. I think this ideological push and pull encapsulated Biden’s performance at the debate: while he looked poised across the stage from his always boisterous opponent, it was lackluster. Biden needs to commit to his ideas and deliver them in a way that packs a punch so voters can feel excited to vote for him instead of doing so out of necessity.
My closing thought about this debate is that if this isn’t evidence that we’re living in a completely unprecedented time when it comes to presidential politics, I’m not sure what would. This is why our current political climate needs everyone’s involvement. This is why we need to vote as well as sign petitions, donate to causes, and attend peaceful protests to make sure your voice is heard and action is taken beyond a ballot. If this debate has shown us one thing, it’s that anyone can accomplish anything, because a sixth-grade debate team would’ve accomplished more compared to the nominees.