Trump vs. Biden - Debate time!

[pr0ner]

Anybody going to watch the last spectacle? I hadn't planned to, but Wife is treating it as must-see TV, so I might at least sit thru the beginning. I hope it will be the last time I see trump on TV until his concession speech.

I'd rather watch the shitshow that will be Eagles/Giants.

[malchior]

So you know it's going to come up, how is Biden going to address the corruption charges, whether it comes from the moderator or Trump?

He needs to do it quickly. He can't win since it essentially is 'when did you stop beating your wife'. He just needs to deflect it best he can back at Trump.

[YellowKing]

I really hate that we live in a timeline where Biden has to defend himself on national television against a single made up corruption charge coming from a president whose corruption has been out in the open for all to see for the last 4 years.

[Paingod]

I'm not planning on watching. I do plan on watching the out-takes the next day of Trump's apoplectic fury when he gets repeatedly muted.

*Edit: We might even luck out and have a clip of Trump storming off stage.

[Defiant]

IMO, he should do something along the lines of what he did in the last debate. Say that he's not going to waste his time talking to Trump, who's only trying to distract from the issues, and instead answer the questions of the moderator and direct his answers to the American people.

[YellowKing]

I do fully expect Trump will constantly interrupt during the non 2 minute time period, and I also believe he will attempt to interrupt even while his mic is muted by trying to shout over it. Either way, it will only reinforce everything people dislike about him.

I am kind of hoping he gets so enraged he does something completely over the line. At this point Biden's greatest asset is Trump himself.

[Paingod]

I am kind of hoping he gets so enraged he does something completely over the line.

There's a non-zero percent chance that he actually storms over to Biden and tries to cough on him or throw a punch. Didn't ever think I'd believe an American president capable of assaulting a political opponent on live TV until now.

[LawBeefaroni]

I am kind of hoping he gets so enraged he does something completely over the line.

There's a non-zero percent chance that he actually storms over to Biden and tries to cough on him or throw a punch. Didn't ever think I'd believe an American president capable of assaulting a political opponent on live TV until now.

It's also a non-zero probability that he has Biden arrested on national TV by some ad hoc DOJ enforcement squad.

[Grifman]

So you know it's going to come up, how is Biden going to address the corruption charges, whether it comes from the moderator or Trump?

He needs to do it quickly. He can't win since it essentially is 'when did you stop beating your wife'. He just needs to deflect it best he can back at Trump.

There is a supposedly damning email where Hunter is talking about potential investments with a Chinese company with 10% being set aside for "the big guy", an apparent allusion to Biden. The problem with this is, even if true, the email is dated May 13, 2017. At that point, Biden was no longer in office, nor was he a candidate for president either. There's no more wrong here than there is with Trump seeking to close various foreign deals, which of course his sons still do today, even as he is president. It looks like they are just throwing stuff on the wall to see what sticks - of course.

I will also note that per Time Magazine people in Ukraine have noted that information similar to that supposedly found on Hunter Biden's laptop was also circulating in the Ukraine, and in fact they had been approached with offers to sell the info to them. Of course if it was circulating in the Ukraine, then how did it all of a sudden get on a laptop in the US?

[Grifman]

I do fully expect Trump will constantly interrupt during the non 2 minute time period, and I also believe he will attempt to interrupt even while his mic is muted by trying to shout over it. Either way, it will only reinforce everything people dislike about him.

I am kind of hoping he gets so enraged he does something completely over the line. At this point Biden's greatest asset is Trump himself.

yeah, in some ways its going to be worse because as soon as 2 minutes are up, he's going to talk/yell over Biden. It's pretty clear the last debate cost him 2 to 3 points in the polls so I say more power to him.

[Defiant]

BTW, I found out (thanks to the Circus) that during the 2020 debate, the Clinton campaign got a tip off that Trump was going to try to poison Clinton in the third debate (to make her faint again like she had done when she had gotten pneumonia) that he would have done when giving her a handshake (24 style, I guess), which is why they didn't shake hands.

And as crazy as it kind of seems, it also doesn't seem quite so crazy (given Russia, and given that I don't think Trump would have any ethical problem with doing it, and that his presidency has led to the unnecessary deaths of thousands).

[Unagi]

I’m sure you mean 2016.

But that’s nuts.

[Defiant]

Oops, yeah, 2016.

[Kraken]

So you know it's going to come up, how is Biden going to address the corruption charges, whether it comes from the moderator or Trump?

He needs to do it quickly. He can't win since it essentially is 'when did you stop beating your wife'. He just needs to deflect it best he can back at Trump.

If it were me, I'd say something like "I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer. If you're going to partner with Russian agents to invent a scandal, try to make it realistic enough to at least fool your own intelligence team."

I might wind up watching tonight after all. We're going out for dinner tonight to take advantage of an unusually beautiful October evening, and should get home just about the time the debate starts.

[ImLawBoy]

Anybody going to watch the last spectacle? I hadn't planned to, but Wife is treating it as must-see TV, so I might at least sit thru the beginning. I hope it will be the last time I see trump on TV until his concession speech.

I'd rather watch the shitshow that will be Eagles/Giants.

Spoiler:

Drew Magary
@drewmagary
A debate tonight? Yeah no I don't think so. If you'll excuse me I'm gonna stick to FOOTBAW instead

[sees which game is on tonight]

Oh god dammit. WELL WHAT THE FUCK DO I DO NOW
7:00 AM · Oct 22, 2020·Twitter Web App

[Isgrimnur]

Eagles could be in 1st by a half game if they win.

[Skinypupy]

Our Zoom D&D session is scheduled at the same time.

Figuring out how to keep the two overzealous 11-year-olds from wiping the entire party will be far more entertaining, I expect.

[$iljanus]

Being a Giants fan I'm torn between the two dumpster fires tonight. But thanks to technology, I don't need to choose! Also consuming copious amounts of alcohol can apply to both events! Winning all around!

[Kurth]

So you know it's going to come up, how is Biden going to address the corruption charges, whether it comes from the moderator or Trump?

He needs to do it quickly. He can't win since it essentially is 'when did you stop beating your wife'. He just needs to deflect it best he can back at Trump.

If it were me, I'd say something like "I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer. If you're going to partner with Russian agents to invent a scandal, try to make it realistic enough to at least fool your own intelligence team."

I might wind up watching tonight after all. We're going out for dinner tonight to take advantage of an unusually beautiful October evening, and should get home just about the time the debate starts.

If it were me, I wouldn’t be doing this debate. My position would be that Trump has already shown the country what it can expect from him during a debate, and there’s really no point to doing another one.

The American people know who both of these candidates are, and it’s not like they’re going to be treated to an informative discussion of the different policy proposals in play. There’s nothing more to do but vote, which a shit ton of people have already done.

Tonight just seems like Biden is giving Trump one last opportunity to save himself by throwing random garbage at Biden. It would be a hard pass for me if I were Biden.

[malchior]

Anybody going to watch the last spectacle? I hadn't planned to, but Wife is treating it as must-see TV, so I might at least sit thru the beginning. I hope it will be the last time I see trump on TV until his concession speech.

I'd rather watch the shitshow that will be Eagles/Giants.

I just got clued in there is a Mountain Goats live stream tonight. I'm not wasting my time on this nonsense.

Eagles could be in 1st by a half game if they win.

This is why I'm not watching as a lifelong Giants fan. The quality of these two teams is so low that I can't even bother with it.

[$iljanus]

As a Giants fan myself, I'm just happy if they win at least some games, beat Dallas and the Washington Football Team and get a good draft pick or two for their mediocrity these days. Everything beyond that is just gravy.

[NickAragua]

Hmm, do I want to become enraged and risk throwing some kind of heavy object at the TV?

Mr. Burns: Smithers, I think I'll donate a million dollars to the orphanage... when pigs fly!
Smithers and Mr. Burns: [lol]
[pig flies by]
Smithers: Will you be donating that million dollars now, sir?
Mr. Burns: No, I'd still prefer not to.

[Smoove_B]

I might wind up watching tonight after all. We're going out for dinner tonight to take advantage of an unusually beautiful October evening, and should get home just about the time the debate starts.

If you can, try to take a constitutional at your local restaurant - I can't remember if you're near the greater Boston area. If so, you might be helping with data because things are looking interesting.

[Alefroth]

So you know it's going to come up, how is Biden going to address the corruption charges, whether it comes from the moderator or Trump?

State that there is nothing to the claim, recall the senate investigation that found nothing, and call out Bartiromo and Johnson for engaging in slanderous speculation.

Or I'd like to see him simply say, "It's fake news".

[Kraken]

I might wind up watching tonight after all. We're going out for dinner tonight to take advantage of an unusually beautiful October evening, and should get home just about the time the debate starts.

If you can, try to take a constitutional at your local restaurant - I can't remember if you're near the greater Boston area. If so, you might be helping with data because things are looking interesting.

We're well outside the city, and will be dining outdoors. Trying to squeeze in one more time before the weather turns. Cases are indeed rising in MA and I expect partial shutdowns in the next few weeks.

[Alefroth]

I might wind up watching tonight after all. We're going out for dinner tonight to take advantage of an unusually beautiful October evening, and should get home just about the time the debate starts.

If you can, try to take a constitutional at your local restaurant - I can't remember if you're near the greater Boston area. If so, you might be helping with data because things are looking interesting.

We're well outside the city, and will be dining outdoors. Trying to squeeze in one more time before the weather turns. Cases are indeed rising in MA and I expect partial shutdowns in the next few weeks.

In before the lock... down.

[Kraken]

That was actually a functional debate. Each side played to his base. Neither side laid any body blows. trump beat expectations by not being a wild-eyed raving lunatic. Biden successfully batted away trump's lies. I don't think either one of them persuaded anybody to change their minds. I call it a draw.

[Octavious]

I really think that statement about oil at the end is going to be ridden hard. That targets PA and Texas. On the positive he did brush off the laptop bs really well.

[YellowKing]

I'd only call it a draw if anything Trump said was remotely true. Instead he spent 90 minutes reciting Brietbart and Fox News talking points.

Sure, it's a draw in a completely unfair fight. Where one guy just gets to say whatever the fuck he wants and the other guy has to play by the rules.

[malchior]

I'd only call it a draw if anything Trump said was remotely true. Instead he spent 90 minutes reciting Brietbart and Fox News talking points.

Sure, it's a draw in a completely unfair fight. Where one guy just gets to say whatever the fuck he wants and the other guy has to play by the rules.

That's modern America. We're all form over substance. It is what happens when your society is run like a bad reality show which has few or no standards.

[Jaymann]

In modern Amerika you don't get rid of oil, oil gets rid of you.

[Octavious]

The moderator did a fantastic job btw.

[ChaoZ]

It was gutsy for Biden to take a stand on transitioning away from oil. It's a long term reality. I think that even surprised Trump.

[hitbyambulance]

do people really think their private insurance is so awesome they couldn't conceive of anything better?

[Smoove_B]

Partially. I think it's more rooted in the idea that Americans don't like paying for benefits received by others. Especially if they're morally opposed to them (birth control) or think the beneficiaries are scam artists or "lazy".

[noxiousdog]

do people really think their private insurance is so awesome they couldn't conceive of anything better?

In comparison with the Affordable Care Act choices, my private insurance costs significantly less and pays for significantly more. Of course, it's subsidized by my employer.

[Grifman]

do people really think their private insurance is so awesome they couldn't conceive of anything better?

In comparison with the Affordable Care Act choices, my private insurance costs significantly less and pays for significantly more. Of course, it's subsidized by my employer.

Well of course it's less After I retired I had a choice of buying into my company's plan with no subsidy or using the ACA (I retired early and am not eligible for Medicare). The ACA policy was cheaper after considering deductibles and co-pays.

[Kraken]

do people really think their private insurance is so awesome they couldn't conceive of anything better?

In comparison with the Affordable Care Act choices, my private insurance costs significantly less and pays for significantly more. Of course, it's subsidized by my employer.

We. too, have very good insurance. It costs an arm and a leg, but most people our age pay an arm and a leg and a kidney.

Wife needs to work until age 67 to lock in this employee-priced health insurance for life. If the ACA is struck down, and/or if Dems lose, then that benefit is a lifeline. If, OTOH, she doesn't have to hang in there for the insurance, she can retire a year earlier.

[Alefroth]

How in the world is Trump able to get any traction whatsoever on the narrative that making money from foreign investments is bad?

[Paingod]

We. too, have very good insurance. It costs an arm and a leg, but most people our age pay an arm and a leg and a kidney.

I'm sure I'll sound like a socialist, but I'd be okay with paying 40% in taxes to ensure everyone had coverage if that's what it took. I think America's healthcare system is a complete scam from top to bottom with hospitals and services charging whatever they can to people who can pay because they lose so much on people who can't. It should never bankrupt a family if someone has a heart attack and decides to live through it.

How in the world is Trump able to get any traction whatsoever on the narrative that making money from foreign investments is bad?

Reality is the water that slides off that duck's back.

I only caught some excerpts last night and it might be the closest thing Trump has been in four years to sounding "presidential" and even then it was all lies and madness.