While I agree with many of the various comments made, for me the fact is that this time around a voter is choosing not one person or the other, but rather Democracy or Autocracy. I know which I will choose.
Well, we know Trump is an aspiring autocrat. He has proclaimed as much. The question is whether there are sufficient guardrails in place to hold him in check if he is elected again. I think there are. Just call me an eternal optimist. ;-)
And the second-biggest mistake Harris made was leaving Trump's praise of Viktor Orban just hanging out there like unpicked fruit. "Beautiful, perfect" fruit.
And not making more substantive comments when she had the chance but instead repeatedly citing her mottos of "Turn the Page" and "We can't go back to the past." Opportunities lost.
Yes, I'd say that for Harris, it was an embarrassment of riches. It wasn't a big enough forum to take advantage of every opening he gave her. Here's the one I would love to have thrown back at him: When Trump said Nancy Pelosi was in charge of security at the Capitol, I would have stopped him right there: "I'm confused. I thought you said Nikki Haley was in charge of security at the Capitol. You said that at least seven times at a rally in New Hampshire. When did you change your mind?" As the old saying goes, so much fruit to pick and so little time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGTJy1Ij4Qk
Well, that was something. What, exactly it was, I'm not sure. But, like the first debate this year, it had unexpected elements.
I don't know that I feel that it was Kamala-all-the-way. She certainly performed better than Trump, but for her, the debate was performance art. It played to her wheelhouse, which is preparation, memorizing facts and facial expressions, and trotting them out when the situation called for it. Trump, on the other hand, either underestimated her or thought he was such an experienced debater that he didn't need to prepare. Or both. He's such a narcissist that he probably thought he could wing it--to his peril.
They both got off some zingers, but I'm still left wondering what is Kamala's plan for the economy--besides the fact that she was born into a middle class family and "opportunity zones" ( or something). Now as much as I want my daughter and her fiancee to be able to afford a house someday, I do not want the federal government giving them $25,000. Enough with the money hand outs. Have we learned nothing from the Inflation Reduction Act and Covid relief payments?
It was painfully obvious that the moderators were not playing on a level field. Sure, Trump got challenged on his "facts"--and it was probably a chore for David Muir and Linsey Davis to decide which "facts" to check, but Kamala repeating that old chestnut about tiki torches and Charlottesville was a bridge too far. Even Snopes--no fan of Trump--said that was bunk. I mean--they could have called her out on that just to make it look better.
So where are we? I know absolutely nothing more about Kamala's policies than I did before the debate. Trump did his Trump-thing to gloriously stupid perfection--we're talking billions and billions of exaggerations. However, his last segment was effective. This was where he asked, rhetorically, if Kamala has all these plans, why hasn't she (Dems) been doing them for the past 3 1/2 years? Makes sense to me. We need another debate, with more disciplined moderators and one better prepared candidate. This "not answering a question" business drives me nuts.
Hi Sharon. Yes, I think you hit the nail on the head with Trump. His campaign staffers had reportedly begged him to prepare. He won't even read one-page briefing papers on topics he needs to master. And yes, I agree that Harris should have been called out on Charlottesville. But even if she had been fact checked, Trump would still have lost the contest. As for your last sentence, political handlers always advise their bosses not to answer the question that's asked. They tell you to answer the question you wish they had asked and then hit the ball out of the park.
While I agree with many of the various comments made, for me the fact is that this time around a voter is choosing not one person or the other, but rather Democracy or Autocracy. I know which I will choose.
Well, we know Trump is an aspiring autocrat. He has proclaimed as much. The question is whether there are sufficient guardrails in place to hold him in check if he is elected again. I think there are. Just call me an eternal optimist. ;-)
And the second-biggest mistake Harris made was leaving Trump's praise of Viktor Orban just hanging out there like unpicked fruit. "Beautiful, perfect" fruit.
And not making more substantive comments when she had the chance but instead repeatedly citing her mottos of "Turn the Page" and "We can't go back to the past." Opportunities lost.
Yes, I'd say that for Harris, it was an embarrassment of riches. It wasn't a big enough forum to take advantage of every opening he gave her. Here's the one I would love to have thrown back at him: When Trump said Nancy Pelosi was in charge of security at the Capitol, I would have stopped him right there: "I'm confused. I thought you said Nikki Haley was in charge of security at the Capitol. You said that at least seven times at a rally in New Hampshire. When did you change your mind?" As the old saying goes, so much fruit to pick and so little time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGTJy1Ij4Qk
Hah! This just in. Lindsey Graham thinks Trump should fire his debate team! https://www.mediaite.com/politics/disaster-lindsey-graham-says-unprepared-trump-should-fire-his-debate-team/
Well, that was something. What, exactly it was, I'm not sure. But, like the first debate this year, it had unexpected elements.
I don't know that I feel that it was Kamala-all-the-way. She certainly performed better than Trump, but for her, the debate was performance art. It played to her wheelhouse, which is preparation, memorizing facts and facial expressions, and trotting them out when the situation called for it. Trump, on the other hand, either underestimated her or thought he was such an experienced debater that he didn't need to prepare. Or both. He's such a narcissist that he probably thought he could wing it--to his peril.
They both got off some zingers, but I'm still left wondering what is Kamala's plan for the economy--besides the fact that she was born into a middle class family and "opportunity zones" ( or something). Now as much as I want my daughter and her fiancee to be able to afford a house someday, I do not want the federal government giving them $25,000. Enough with the money hand outs. Have we learned nothing from the Inflation Reduction Act and Covid relief payments?
It was painfully obvious that the moderators were not playing on a level field. Sure, Trump got challenged on his "facts"--and it was probably a chore for David Muir and Linsey Davis to decide which "facts" to check, but Kamala repeating that old chestnut about tiki torches and Charlottesville was a bridge too far. Even Snopes--no fan of Trump--said that was bunk. I mean--they could have called her out on that just to make it look better.
When Trump started talking about immigrants eating cats and dogs in Ohio, I lost it. I think this piece from The Babylon Bee sums it up better than I ever could: https://babylonbee.com/news/ohio-cats-take-to-the-streets-to-protest-haitian-immigration?utm_source=The%20Babylon%20Bee%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email
So where are we? I know absolutely nothing more about Kamala's policies than I did before the debate. Trump did his Trump-thing to gloriously stupid perfection--we're talking billions and billions of exaggerations. However, his last segment was effective. This was where he asked, rhetorically, if Kamala has all these plans, why hasn't she (Dems) been doing them for the past 3 1/2 years? Makes sense to me. We need another debate, with more disciplined moderators and one better prepared candidate. This "not answering a question" business drives me nuts.
Hi Sharon. Yes, I think you hit the nail on the head with Trump. His campaign staffers had reportedly begged him to prepare. He won't even read one-page briefing papers on topics he needs to master. And yes, I agree that Harris should have been called out on Charlottesville. But even if she had been fact checked, Trump would still have lost the contest. As for your last sentence, political handlers always advise their bosses not to answer the question that's asked. They tell you to answer the question you wish they had asked and then hit the ball out of the park.