Trump vs. Biden - the Final Showdown

[LordMortis]

Maybe remind Trump's audience that if Cory Booker is responsible for your neighborhood, he will literally run into your burning house to save you from a fire.

It reminded me that Booker was third choice for president after Merkley (who never ran) and Beto (who dropped way to early IMO)

[Holman]

[malchior]

The 4th estate is starting strong covering the DNCC!

[El Guapo]

Yeah this 'convention' is...not great so far. Maybe there's no good way to do this, and guessing it doesn't matter in the end, but not super impressed so far.

[malchior]

It's been mixed. I'd say it has to be seen for what it is. Despite what the nihilist talking heads say there are at least a few positives. They've hit some solid notes. The Floyd Brothers (well the one who spoke) was strong. The woman who dropped the line that her father's death due to Covid was the pre-existing condition of believing in Trump.

On the mixed front, I think they should have reduced the number of speakers. I know they are trying to be inclusive but this is a bit like Robot Chicken DNCC edition. It definitely highlights that the Democrats still can't sell a message to save themselves. There is too much going on here.

[$iljanus]

I like what everyone is saying but it's just weird. But what can you do? Looking forward to hearing what First Lady Obama will say tonight.

I wonder what the four days of hate will sound like when the GOP convention is aired.

[El Guapo]

It's nice that they included Seth Moulton in the "people who ran for the nomination" montage.

[malchior]

It's nice that they included Seth Moulton in the "people who ran for the nomination" montage.

My wife asked who he was. I said that guy was in the race for like 3 months...I was wrong...it was almost 4! Also, I didn't know that Moulton was looking to install Karen Bass to replace Pelosi. Praise Xenu that was a close call!

[El Guapo]

It's nice that they included Seth Moulton in the "people who ran for the nomination" montage.

My wife asked who he was. I said that guy was in the race for like 3 months...I was wrong...it was almost 4!

I got a good chuckle from it.

I will say that I did like that rival candidates segment and thought that it was pretty effective.

[$iljanus]

Preach it, Michelle! (And stop switching the camera angle)

[El Guapo]

This has gotten better. I agree with malchior that there have been too many speakers overall, and it's been a bit of DNC Talk Soup at times. But they've moved into longer, better segments.

[malchior]

Yeah - if the keynote speakers couldn't sink shots...well call the game then. I expect the end of each of the nights is going to be strong. It would have been better to be a bit more consistent throughout.

On a random note, this these got a good laugh out of me.

[Defiant]

Michelle Obama knocked it out of the park.

"So let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can. Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is." - Michelle Obama

[Zaxxon]

I wonder what the four days of hate will sound like when the GOP convention is aired.

I mean, they announced that the St Louis gun-toting white couple will be speaking, so... Yeah.

[Paingod]

Michelle Obama knocked it out of the park.

"So let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can. Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is." - Michelle Obama

I agree. The last sentence is like her dropping the mic. It's poetic.

I'd vote for her for President if she was ever inclined. We've proven that you don't need to be a career politician to get the job, and I'd wager a very decent human being like her would kick ass at it. Plus, the First Man would make a pretty good ambassador to different positive functions, like education and health. He could redefine "Be Best".

[hepcat]

I wonder what the four days of hate will sound like when the GOP convention is aired.

I mean, they announced that the St Louis gun-toting white couple will be speaking, so... Yeah.

Are you effing serious???

<looks it up>

Son of a...wow...just wow

[Jaymann]

Because nothing says America like untrained whitebread gun wielders waving their weapons at black people.

[Zaxxon]

Because nothing says America MAGA like untrained whitebread gun wielders waving their weapons at black people.

FTFY.

[El Guapo]

I wonder whether this is the year that the RNC will officially become crazier than the Libertarian Party convention.

[Holman]

I wonder what the four days of hate will sound like when the GOP convention is aired.

I mean, they announced that the St Louis gun-toting white couple will be speaking, so... Yeah.

Are you effing serious???

<looks it up>

Son of a...wow...just wow

The first time I saw this idea, right after the event, it was literally a joke.

I was just about to post that you'd been fooled by it, but then I double checked.

[pr0ner]

This has gotten better. I agree with malchior that there have been too many speakers overall, and it's been a bit of DNC Talk Soup at times. But they've moved into longer, better segments.

It's interesting that reactions from my friends on Facebook/Twitter have veered from "I hate this, the DNC letting John Kasich speak was the worst thing they've ever done" to "Michelle Obama made me cry".

Me, I just didn't watch.

[El Guapo]

This has gotten better. I agree with malchior that there have been too many speakers overall, and it's been a bit of DNC Talk Soup at times. But they've moved into longer, better segments.

It's interesting that reactions from my friends on Facebook/Twitter have veered from "I hate this, the DNC letting John Kasich speak was the worst thing they've ever done" to "Michelle Obama made me cry".

Me, I just didn't watch.

I will say re: Kasich that they did get the headlines that they wanted out of it. I think getting this on a Fox News headline is gold.

[LawBeefaroni]

I know how I'm voting, I'm not thrilled about it, but it has to be done. There is no reason for me to watch yet another partisan love fest.

[El Guapo]

I know how I'm voting, I'm not thrilled about it, but it has to be done. There is no reason for me to watch yet another partisan love fest.

I like watching political conventions in general, but then I generally enjoy politics and current events and whatnot. I will say that last night I mainly watched to see how the virtual convention would go. After this I'm not going to watch much beyond the Harris and Biden speeches.

[Jaymann]

I'm not gonna watch much beyond the Harris - Pence debate. See you in Utah indeed.

[hepcat]

I suspect that the Harris/Pence debate will be a bloodbath...and that's biggest draw for me. I wonder if I'll be proven wrong and Pence CAN stand his ground successfully when faced with an actual debate though. Weirder things have happened.

[Defiant]

Pence seemed OK in the debate in 2016. Of course, that's probably not enough against Harris, but then, Harris will have high expectations.


As for the convention, I'll probably watch most of the speeches from the major figures (eg, the last hour each night), but probably afterwards, when I can just watch the individual speeches.

[Skinypupy]

I suspect that the Harris/Pence debate will be a bloodbath...and that's biggest draw for me. I wonder if I'll be proven wrong and Pence CAN stand his ground successfully when faced with an actual debate though. Weirder things have happened.

Meh. Pence could literally smear feces all over the stage and Team Trump will still say that he "won" the debate.

[El Guapo]

I think Biden - Trump is more likely to be a bloodbath than Harris - Pence. Pence can actually string thoughts together, and is comfortable bending the truth and presenting that in a convincing-seeming way. Plus I think expectations are going to go in tilted heavily in favor of Harris, such that anything other than Harris carrying out a fatality will be viewed as a good showing by Pence.

Whereas Trump can't string two sentences together, and while he's comfortable lying, he really isn't good at presenting the lies. And while expectations will be somewhat in favor of Biden, I don't think most media outlets have a high view of his debating skills.

[Jaymann]

Biden needs only to take the high road and let Trump self destruct. I am more interested in watching Sarah Cooper's interpretation of Trump's meltdown.

[LordMortis]

Made my every other weekly trip to Aldi and there were vocal MAGAts blathering about Biden and the democrats destroying jobs to whoever would accept being accosted with a side of Whitmer/Tlib venom. I've literally never seen anything like it before. Like all they do is publicly proclaim how democrats are ruining the US whenever they go shopping. Is this now a thing? Did I miss that day in class? I was legit afraid of them being nuts. Like it was cornerstone before a manifesto.

[Paingod]

Made my every other weekly trip to Aldi and there were vocal MAGAts blathering about Biden and the democrats destroying jobs to whoever would accept being accosted with a side of Whitmer/Tlib venom. I've literally never seen anything like it before. Like all they do is publicly proclaim how democrats are ruining the US whenever they go shopping. Is this now a thing? Did I miss that day in class? I was legit afraid of them being nuts. Like it was cornerstone before a manifesto.

You've got two children. Both of them love candy. You give one a lollipop and they're really into it. The other one has no idea and goes on living life. You take the lollipop away from the first one and it goes into a righteous tantrum. The other doesn't, never having had the candy to begin with.

Trump's cult-like following may be feeling people yanking on their lollipop and they're going to scream and yell when it gets taken away. They may even throw themselves onto the floor and start drubbing their fists and feet.

That's the mentality you're working around here. Think base emotions and unfiltered selfish reasoning and work up from there to understand what's driving them.

[Alefroth]

Whereas Trump can't string two sentences together, and while he's comfortable lying, he really isn't good at presenting the lies.

Or being called out on the lies. We nearly saw a meltdown when Wallace told him he was wrong.

[Holman]

Made my every other weekly trip to Aldi and there were vocal MAGAts blathering about Biden and the democrats destroying jobs to whoever would accept being accosted with a side of Whitmer/Tlib venom. I've literally never seen anything like it before. Like all they do is publicly proclaim how democrats are ruining the US whenever they go shopping. Is this now a thing? Did I miss that day in class? I was legit afraid of them being nuts. Like it was cornerstone before a manifesto.

You've got two children. Both of them love candy. You give one a lollipop and they're really into it. The other one has no idea and goes on living life. You take the lollipop away from the first one and it goes into a righteous tantrum. The other doesn't, never having had the candy to begin with.

Trump's cult-like following may be feeling people yanking on their lollipop and they're going to scream and yell when it gets taken away. They may even throw themselves onto the floor and start drubbing their fists and feet.

That's the mentality you're working around here. Think base emotions and unfiltered selfish reasoning and work up from there to understand what's driving them.

They're also getting a completely illusory picture of the world from a media ecosystem that starts with Fox News and only gets worse.

The same people who believe that masks equal slavery also believe that urban centers are burning down as the Anarchist commandos creep ever closer to the suburbs.

[$iljanus]

Just tuned in to the convention and it's John Kerry followed by Colin Powell. I guess they're going after the boomer vote and hitting national security hard.

As for Powell, fuck him and his pushing of the lies that began the Iraq war.

Hmmm, now they have a montage of Biden working across the aisle with his relationship with McCain front and center. That's all well and good but I'm not going to forget about all enablers in the Senate...

Now is the fluff piece about Jill Biden which is nice, touching at points and necessary. Plays well with the older folks.

[Defiant]

I liked the remote roll call, where we got to see the different states. It might actually be an improvement on the normal roll call.

I guess all the candidates other than Sanders gave their delegates to Biden. There were also a handful of abstentions - I assume those were delegates for other candidates that didn't want to vote for Biden.

[$iljanus]

Respectfully, Mrs Biden there are differences which are irreconcilable. But I do hope for your vision of America to come to fruition someday.

[El Guapo]

God, they really just have to drop the random people on Zoom applauding after speeches. It's just weird and sad.

[malchior]

I liked the remote roll call, where we got to see the different states. It might actually be an improvement on the normal roll call.

If only they had on a state costume like they were participants in the Hunger Games. WV a coal miner's uniform. MI an assembly line worker. CA would be ... holding a surfboard or something. NJ would have a track suit on.

I guess all the candidates other than Sanders gave their delegates to Biden. There were also a handful of abstentions - I assume those were delegates for other candidates that didn't want to vote for Biden.

A lot of people are cranky about this. I think its healthy. Some division is natural.

[Blackhawk]

All Biden has to do with a Trump debate is pick one of his obvious weaknesses and poke it with a stick until his ego drives him to go off-script at the one news conference he can't just walk away from or say, "Next question!" Let Trump angry and he'll spew out a line of crazy so thick that even his supporters will be scratching their heads.