Biden-Trump Debate: Who Won?
By: Osemwengie Ben Ogbemudia
In a debate that was the political equivalent of a food fight, the winner is the man who emerged least covered in slop.
On Tuesday night, that man was Joe Biden – if only because his main goal was to prove to Americans that he could hold up under pressure, that he had not lost a step due to his advancing age. He had to show he could take a pie to the face, metaphorically speaking, and keep his cool.
He mostly met that standard, although it was at least in part because Donald Trump, by his constant hectoring and interruptions, seldom gave the former vice-president a chance to say something truly damaging to his own cause.
The unconventional, bombastic, insulting and rumour-mongering aspect of this president – was on full display throughout the hour-and-a-half event. Unfortunately for the president, many Americans, even his own supporters, find his social media persona one of his more unattractive attributes.
Trump needed this debate to shake up a race that is tilting against him – and which has been remarkably stable, through economic, health and social adversity.
Nothing about this free-for-all seems likely to alter the dynamics of this contest or change the minds of the one in 10 American voters who say they are still undecided (although perhaps they’ll resolve never to watch another one of these)Will you shut up, man?’
It was clear early on what kind of “debate” this would be. Donald Trump’s objective was to rattle Joe Biden – and he planned to do it by constantly interrupting the former vice-president.
By CBS News’s count, Trump cut in on Biden a total of 73 times.
That made for a series of chaotic exchanges, which included Trump questioning Biden’s intelligence and Biden calling Trump a clown, shushing him and asking, indignantly, “Will you shut up, man?”
Time and time again, Trump would snipe at Biden, leaving the Democrat laughing and shaking his head.
As moderator Chris Wallace announced that the coronavirus was the next topic and that both candidates would have two-and-a-half uninterrupted minutes to answer, Biden quipped: “Good luck with that.”
Moderating this prestigious primetime event may have been the worst job in America on Tuesday night.
The coronavirus was always going to be difficult terrain for the president – and the topic came up early in the debate. Trump had to defend a pandemic response that has resulted in more than 200,000 American deaths. He did so by saying the steps he’s taken prevented more deaths and suggesting Biden would have made things worse.
Biden’s reply was to talk directly at the camera, asking the viewers if they could believe Trump (polls indicate a majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the pandemic).
