2020 Presidential Election 4: How Much Longer?

[GreyhoundFan]

Amen:

[GreyhoundFan]

I think Trevor is underestimating here:

[GreyhoundFan]

I agree with Karen Tumulty's assessment: "The debate was a nightmare, and a fitting summation of Trump’s presidency"

Spoiler

The nightmare that played out Tuesday evening on a debate stage in Cleveland served at least one useful purpose. It encapsulated, in a single 98-minute span, the entire presidency of Donald J. Trump.

All of the impulses that drive Trump were unleashed: The lying. The rage. The bluster. The incoherence.

It is hard to imagine that anyone but the most obdurate of partisans could have watched the spectacle and thought, Gee, wouldn’t it be great to have four more years of this?

Trump sent fact-checkers into overdrive, though as my Post colleagues pointed out, most of his false claims were retreads of lies that he has previously told.

But on a more fundamental level, Trump showed an uncharacteristic lack of pretense.

In what is likely to be remembered as the debate’s most illuminating moment, the president laid bare the devil’s bargain that he has been willing to make with racism in this country to achieve his ends.

Asked if he was willing to condemn white supremacists, and one far-right militia group in particular, the president balked and instead delivered what sounded like a call to arms if he loses the election.

“Proud Boys," Trump declared, "stand back and stand by.”

Unsurprisingly, the extremist group quickly rallied behind Trump’s call as a new slogan on social media. Its main account on the platform Parler posted video of Trump’s statement and its own response: "YES SIR, PROUD BOYS STANDING BY.”

Joe Biden spoke for the rest of us when he at one point blurted out: “Will you shut up, man? This is so unpresidential.”

Granted, this was not Biden’s finest hour either. He failed to achieve the most fundamental mission for a challenger, which is to present a vision of the alternate direction in which he would take the country.

Then again, it is hard to blame the former vice president, who had assumed that he was showing up for a debate, not a shipwreck. For the most part, Biden retained his composure. He in no way resembled the doddering and feeble old man that Trump and his compatriots have sought to portray him as.

Biden also resisted Trump’s efforts to align him with the more liberal members of his party and positions that fall to the left of where most Americans are on issues such as health care. “I am the Democratic Party right now," Biden said. "The platform of the Democratic Party is what I, in fact, approved of.”

The moderator, Chris Wallace of Fox News, failed to bring any semblance of order or decorum. Wallace is normally a sharp and tough interviewer, but from start to finish, Trump’s id was manning the controls.

Polling both nationally and in battleground states suggests that Biden is on a glide path to victory Nov. 3, or whenever it is that the votes are finally counted. If Trump’s performance did anything to alter the election’s trajectory, it was probably to enhance his own chances of becoming a one-term president.

It is possible that far fewer Americans will have the stomach to tune in for the three debates scheduled to take place over the coming weeks. Two are a rematch of Trump and Biden and the other a faceoff of their running mates.

But it is well worth watching the Oct. 15 debate in Miami, where Trump will be put in a far different situation.

That debate is to have a town-hall-style format, which means that many of the questions come from ordinary voters, who will be expressing the concerns and challenges they face as the country deals with a viral pandemic, a collapsed economy and a racial reckoning that is playing out, sometimes violently, on the streets of multiple cities.

Can Trump afford to be as disrespectful in that setting as he was on Tuesday night? Then again, is he capable of acting any other way when he is cornered?

No doubt the debacle in Ohio will bring a round of hand-wringing on all sides, and revive old questions about whether debates have outlived their purpose.

It was bad, to be sure. But it was also an accurate reflection of where our politics have brought this country. In that sense, there was something to be salvaged from the wreckage. The debate, or whatever you would call it, threw into even sharper relief the choice that faces voters in 2020.

 

[47of74]

Luke Skywalker for the win 

 

[GreyhoundFan]

As usual, St. Rachel is correct:

 

[RosyDaisy]

I hate to say this, but I think last night's debate is a prelude of things to come.  Trump won't back out of the remaining debates, which will be just as awful as this one.  He straight up refused to denounce racism and gave racists the green light to unleash violence.  He also more or less said that he will not commit to a peaceful transfer of power.  I really think he will succeed in doing that.  Rufus help us all!

[fraurosena]

 

[Alisamer]

Honestly short of putting Trump in a soundproof plexiglass box and only turning on his microphone during his turns I don't know that there's much that can be done to maintain order.

Trump has made it clear he has no respect for the office, the country, the world, the planet itself... I am not surprised he has no respect for the rules of debate. 

I really hope some elementary school teacher gets to ask a question at the town hall format and treats him like the bratty spoiled preschooler he is, making him wait his turn and listen when others are talking like the rest of us learned as toddlers.

I don't think he realizes that the citizens of the United States are his boss. He works for us.

I hope and pray he's not reelected. I don't think he will be. But if he is? Bye bye United States. Hopefully most of us who are sensible will be able to escape Trumplandia somehow.

[EmmieJ]

Trump is a cornered rat.  He's absolutely terrified of losing for millions of reasons.  I think the majority of voters are disgusted by him and his administration.  Biden will win, but there will be violence by white supremacists.  Be brave.  Remember, most bullies are ultimately cowards.  Decency and the rule of law will prevail in the end.

[ADoyle90815]

As one of my Facebook friends who is a retired teacher said he "hasn't seen a debate like that since teaching in middle school."

[Dandruff]

33 minutes ago, EmmieJ said:

Trump is a cornered rat.  He's absolutely terrified of losing for millions of reasons.  I think the majority of voters are disgusted by him and his administration.  Biden will win, but there will be violence by white supremacists.  Be brave.  Remember, most bullies are ultimately cowards.  Decency and the rule of law will prevail in the end.

The cornered rat is depending on supporting rats to protect him in his corner and eventually help him out of it.  Success depends, in part, on the ability of the rat to stoke fear in the civilized.  If the rat wasn't depending on growing fear, I doubt he'd be alluding to the threat now - during a widely televised debate.  It's a backyard bully gang mindfuck.  Once overpowered, the bullies should go back to being the same relative nothings they were before.  We need the folks who can promote/ensure fair elections to do their part, at every level, and the rest of us need to keep our heads and vote.  This will, hopefully, be enough.

I'm guessing Melania slept in a different room last night and is continuing to lay low.

[fraurosena]

Team Trump takes yet another hit.

 

[thoughtful]

3 hours ago, Alisamer said:

putting Trump in a soundproof plexiglass box

Tell him he'll be just like Eichmann - maybe he'll agree to it!

[Becky]

Montana?  A red state, is it not?  Is he contesting mail-in voting in every state??  Absentee voting has been available for a long, long time and states have processes in place.  I would bet that a large number of his supporters are Covid-vulnerable seniors who don't want to take the risk of going to the polls in person.  Blue collar voters (again, I would consider them some of his core voters) have a harder time getting time off work to vote and mail-in voting benefits them, as well.  Trump votes by mail HIMSELF!  

I know, I know, it also means that it will make it easier for minorities and city dwellers without cars to vote, but for cryin' out loud.... 

[GreyhoundFan]

"That “Will You Shut Up, Man?” Moment Hits Me Right in My Lady Parts"

Quote

Remember when the field of candidates vying for the Oval Office was the most female in history? Now we’re trapped inside a frat house basement and the keg’s tapped. Sigh.

The moment from 2020's first presidential debate that of course instantly trended on Twitter, that will undoubtedly end up on a t-shirt and all over headlines in the morning, that will be replayed on cable news, late-night shows, and SNL until our eyes bleed—the one where, understandably exasperated with President Donald Trump’s constant talking-over and interrupting, democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said, “Will you shut up, man?”—was the most singularly male thing in this, the most singularly male election. Sigh, again.

And this was just in the first segment of tonight’s 90-minute debate.

Think about it. What if then-democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton had said something similar when Trump was doing literally the exact same thing during the 2016 debates? I mean, she couldn’t even turn around and tell him to stop *stalking her* on the stage back then because what would America think of her?

Or, what if one of those women running for the Democratic nomination—Senator Kamala Harris, perhaps, Biden’s vice presidential running mate—had won the party ticket and was standing on tonight’s Case Western Reserve University stage? The reactions would have gone something like this:

• She lost her cool.
• I can’t believe she let him get the best of her.
• God, what a bitch.
• She’s so unlikeable, isn’t she?
• See, women are too emotional.
• I’d hate to be her husband…

Actually, you know what? This list isn’t even that good, so I’m gonna stop. Because you know, and I know, the words on this list would be a hell of a lot bleaker, more chilling, too vile. So let’s not even go there. Let’s go here:

• Have you ever been in a professional setting (reminder: these men are literally at work rn) where women were telling each other to shut up?
• Where women were either laughing at each other’s responses to questions during a meeting or just fully interrupting and calling each other "liars?"
• When they were incessantly shouting over someone but the only response was just politely asking (i.e. more shouting) that they just let you finish your question and then they can keep shouting?

Never talk to me about my Real Housewives habit again.

So yeah, tonight is difficult to watch. Not because of the name-calling (“clown,” “Pocahontas,” “dumb”), the shouting (Trump shouting at the mic, Biden shouting at Trump, moderator and Fox News anchor Chris Wallace shouting at Trump, me shouting into the abyss), or the fact that the no-commercial-interruption policy actually made me miss commercials. But because of words like:

"Joe has the biggest mask I've ever seen!"

Translation: what a pussy! Trump carries a mask in case he needs it, of course. He’s not opposed to masks, but he’s not, like, a giant wuss, you know? BTW, Trump brought back football—he was very happy to do it. You’re welcome.

It’s the machismo. It’s the fact that repro rights weren’t even considered as a debate topic. It’s the fact that toxic masculinity continues to, somehow, never feel more fatally toxic.

And yes, I know, we have a history-making vice presidential candidate in Harris. And the number of women working and fighting for these men behind-the-scenes is huge, just like the activists in the streets and women who are running for office, making an impact in ways that fill even the most hopeless-feeling (hi) with hope. That is more important than a bar fight.

But this is where we are. Watching two bros yell at each other and we can’t get a single word in.

 

[EmmieJ]

2 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

"That “Will You Shut Up, Man?” Moment Hits Me Right in My Lady Parts"

 

Boy, I'm thoroughly sick of anyone who thinks Biden and Trump are comparable on any level.  

[GreyhoundFan]

"Acrimonious debate sparks calls for new rules to rein in Trump and questions about the format’s usefulness for voters"

Spoiler

The first presidential debate was widely panned as an embarrassing debacle a day after President Trump and Joe Biden traded insults and vitriol for 98 minutes, leading the Commission on Presidential Debates to consider changing the format and forcing a broader question about whether such events are still useful in the modern political era.

Trump’s aggressive and norm-shattering tactics on the stage in Cleveland on Tuesday drew criticism even from some Republican allies, who joined Democrats on Wednesday to express how demoralizing they found the debate.

As some Democrats encouraged Biden to skip future debates, the commission in charge of the events said it would take swift action to help “maintain order” going forward. One area of agreement? Something needs to change.

“It was awful,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).

The near universal condemnation of the event as a disturbing spectacle unworthy of a presidential race stood out even in an era when political norms are constantly challenged. For many, a hallmark of thriving American democracy — the presidential debate — was instead transformed into an emblem of democracy’s deterioration.

But it also brought to a boil the long-simmering questions about the usefulness of the traditional debate format. While these faceoffs in previous cycles have had a greater sense of decorum, critics have charged that they often amounted to little more than an exchange of sound bites rather than a robust discussion of what’s best for the country.

“My reaction was, this doesn’t need to happen again,” said Russell Riley, a presidential historian at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, who argued that Tuesday night was the latest example of why such events have outlived their value as a means to inform voters. “It does not serve any useful purpose. It’s just ugly, and it reflects poorly on our political system.”

The commission’s goal of tinkering with the format to produce a better result, at least for this race, faces an uphill task — namely, a president who showed himself willing to flout the existing rules and turn the debate into a street brawl.

“Last night’s debate made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues,” the commission said in a statement. “The CPD will be carefully considering the changes that it will adopt and will announce those measures shortly.”

On Tuesday, Trump repeatedly attacked and interrupted Biden as he spoke, not allowing the Democratic nominee to complete his sentences. It was a clear violation of ground rules agreed to by both campaigns and the latest gambit by a president struggling to reshape a race in which polls show him trailing with five weeks to go.

But Trump’s aggressiveness — and Biden’s decision at times to respond with his own insults — left the viewing public worse for wear at the end of the night, according to political analysts, historians and lawmakers who described the debate as the worst in modern history.

Ratings dropped significantly from four years ago, as many voters tuned out. Television anchors openly used profanity as they tried to characterize what they had just witnessed. Foreign observers expressed a sense of dismay and consternation toward the world’s leading democracy. Even the moderator expressed regret for the night’s sour turn.

Several lawmakers agreed that Tuesday’s event — in which Trump attacked Biden’s family and Biden called Trump “this clown” — was a low point in a presidential race that has featured particularly harsh politicking.

“It was the least educational debate of any presidential debate I’ve ever seen,” said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine).

Biden, who began a train tour Wednesday through parts of Ohio and Pennsylvania, said he could “understand” if some voters were discouraged by the nastiness on display. He blamed Trump.

“Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but the president of the United States conducting himself the way he did — I think it was just a national embarrassment,” Biden said.

Trump described it differently.

“I thought the debate last night was great,” he told reporters Wednesday before leaving for a rally in Minnesota. “We’ve gotten tremendous reviews on it.”

But while the Trump campaign argued that the president’s performance was historically great, several aides groused publicly about moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News. Wallace repeatedly tried to get Trump to follow the debate rules, which call for each candidate to have two uninterrupted minutes to answer a question. Wallace called out Trump several times for interrupting Biden just seconds into his answers.

Wallace told the New York Times on Wednesday that the debate was a “terrible missed opportunity” and that he was “sad” with how it turned out. He said he had not expected Trump’s strategy would involve openly defying the rules against incessant interruptions.

“I never dreamt that it would go off the tracks the way it did,” he said.

The debate commission praised Wallace for his efforts but acknowledged that changes would be needed ahead of future debates. One vice-presidential debate and two additional presidential debates are scheduled to take place in October.

It’s not clear what kind of rule changes could be effective, given Trump’s forceful personality and his view that breaking the rules helps him appeal to his base.

On Wednesday, Trump tweeted a video clip of Fox News contributor Dan Bongino saying the president’s combative strategy was “executed brilliantly.”

“This is a base election — forget independents. It’s a base election,” said Bongino, a Trump ally. “So Trump is an apex predator. He’s the lion king. Trump went out there tonight and did what Trump does. He’s the shark in the ocean, and he acted like it. He lost no one from his base. No one.”

Even before the debate began, Trump and his campaign set the tone for an unprecedented level of hostility. The president challenged Biden to take a drug test ahead of the contest, and several of his campaign aides called for the former vice president’s ears to be examined for listening devices.

Trump and his allies have spent much of the past year declaring Biden as senile and slow, so part of the president’s rationale for constantly interrupting him was to make him come across as flustered and out of his depth, aides said. But some said the plan backfired, with Trump being seen as overly aggressive and Biden exceeding the low expectations that Trump and his aides set for him.

Television viewership plunged from four years ago, according to preliminary figures from Nielsen. An estimated 73.1 million people watched the debate, down significantly from four years ago.

Those tuning in from abroad weighed in with blistering criticism, including an editorial from Sweden’s leading newspaper, Dagens Nyheter, which said, “It was hard to believe that tonight’s battle was about who would lead the world’s superpower.”

The debate “was truly terrible,” Anna Soubry, a former British lawmaker, wrote on Twitter. “Whatever our views let’s agree and promise we will never allow British politics to plummet to such a level.”

While both candidates have agreed to participate in the debates scheduled for Oct. 15 and Oct. 22, there is pressure on all sides for changes to be made to the format before then.

Biden campaign advisers said that he would attend the next two debates, tamping down suggestions by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and others that he should not engage with Trump.

Still, Biden’s advisers have expressed their frustrations with the commission as they seek changes ahead of the Oct. 15 town hall debate in Miami.

“Our posture is, the commission should probably fix this, and we hope they will,” said a Biden adviser, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss campaign strategy.

Biden on Wednesday suggested that moderators could control the use of the candidate’s microphones.

“Joe Biden is looking forward to the town hall in Miami,” said Kate Bedingfield, a deputy campaign manager. “He’ll be focused on answering questions from the voters there, under whatever set of rules the commission develops to try to contain Donald Trump’s behavior.”

Trump’s campaign objected to the idea of changes.

“President Trump was the dominant force and now Joe Biden is trying to work the refs,” Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said in a statement. “They shouldn’t be moving the goal posts and changing the rules in the middle of the game.”

Some lawmakers are not optimistic that any rule change can prevent the kind of constant cross talk and expressions of animosity that dominated Tuesday’s event.

“I’m not sure there’s a format change that solves that problem,” said Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.).

Riley said that rather than trying to make quick fixes to a debate system ill-suited to Trump’s unique brand of showmanship, event organizers should shut things down for now.

“Could the debates serve a useful purpose? Yes, but not this year,” he said. “I do not believe that there is any set of circumstances — short of a kill button on Donald Trump’s microphone — that would allow these to proceed in any fruitful way.”

 

[GreyhoundFan]

I wonder if this figured into the Parscale issues this week:

 

 

or maybe this:

 

[EmmieJ]

I think Brad Parscale is a deplorable person - sounds like he is a wife-beater (is that a requirement in order to work for this Administration?), and probably has been skimming lots of money off of donations, etc. (just like that cretin Steve Bannon).  So karma is coming hard for him.  But I think it's possible he's also terrified at the prospect that he may be set up as some sort of fall guy for missing money that Trump actually funneled to himself.  They are all crooks and mobsters.  How long until Trump says he never really knew or met Brad?

[GreyhoundFan]

Another great piece of satire from Alexandra Petri: "Some changes to the debate format to keep this from ever happening again"

Spoiler

The Commission on Presidential Debates says it will make changes to the debate format. Tuesday night’s debate “made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues.”

Good! I cannot imagine a less orderly discussion of the ideas.

I have some improvements. (Also, let us not pretend that these are not exclusively directed at Donald Trump, the president of the United States. Saying that the debate was "contentious” and “marked by attacks” is like describing an encounter between your leg and a rabid raccoon as being contentious and “marked by attacks”; it would be much simpler just to point out who was trying to maul whom, lest people think Joe Biden was saying callous things about Donald Trump’s dead son or questioning the validity of the election results. He wasn’t!)

My suggestions follow.

• The microphone cuts off if you start talking when you are not supposed to be talking. Simple!
• The debate is held on a platform, appropriately socially distanced, over a tank filled with either sharks or grizzlies (the two campaigns can work this out). Whenever you interrupt, you are lowered just a little nearer to the tank, and a hunk of red meat is attached to your shoe.
• There are three moderators. Two of them will not ask any questions, but they are very strong, ominous-looking individuals who stand behind the podiums with nets and make certain you answer them.
• The first time you interrupt your opponent, a bell rings. The second time you interrupt, the bell rings again, and in the depths of the building, It stirs. The third time you interrupt, you hear a distant gate clank open, and the bell rings a third time. The fourth time you interrupt, the bell sounds twice in rapid succession. Footsteps draw close. Only they are not quite footsteps. Everyone in the audience goes pale beneath their masks. The fifth time you interrupt, It is allowed to enter, and may God have mercy on your soul, for It will not.
• If you interrupt again, a man with an old-timey vaudeville hook extends it from the wings and yanks you off the stage.
• Each time you exceed your time limit, a page of your tax returns is released to the general public.
• If you refuse to answer three questions in a row, your opponent is given the telekinetic ability to manipulate your hair in any way he wants.
• The debate hall will be divided into three sections by two glass walls: one for you, one for your opponent and one for the moderator. If you try to fight the moderator and won’t let them finish asking a question because you are too busy heckling, the moderator will simply not ask you any further questions and will release the hornets that have been contained into your third of the debate hall, then move on to your opponent as you deal with them.
• If you mutter something rude under your breath, the ghost of someone you were hoping never to see again will be permitted to enter the debate hall and stand directly opposite you as you continue to respond to questions.
• If you still refuse to accept the premise of the debate that you agreed to and have to be reasoned with like a 5-year-old, you will be sent to a time out. In the interim, an actual 5-year-old will be allowed to answer the questions for you, just to drive home to the country what a nightmare we are all living through.
• If you try to fight the moderator and won’t let them finish asking their question, the moderator is entitled to stare straight into the camera and emit a blood-curdling scream for the duration of your answer.
• The rose containing what is left of your soul is brought into the debate chamber. Whenever you engage in an ad hominem insult, a petal is plucked from the rose.
• For town-hall debates, if you try to interrupt the person asking the question and they have signed the appropriate waiver beforehand, they will be given a trident and allowed to fight you.
• Also, if the president at any time instead of denouncing violent White supremacist groups tells them to “stand back and stand by,” the stage should open up beneath him and release him into a deep chamber so far below the earth that even the sharpest-eared dogs cannot hear his whistling. Don’t say, “That sounds unlikely and expensive to construct.” I assure you, it is not more costly than the alternative.

 

[RosyDaisy]

Nothing will stop Trump from being a lying, insulting, bullying asshole during the debates.  Not new rules and not a kill switch on the microphone.  He thinks rules do not and should not apply to him.  He will continue to do whatever the hell he wants.  He's a narcissist with delusions for grandeur.  It's now up to Biden to figure out a way to combat that without stooping to Trump's level.  And it wouldn't hurt for more damaging information to be revealed about Trump.

Speaking of damaging information.  It seems to me the latest stuff has been perfectly timed.  Somebody or some group is behind this, and I can't help but wonder if the worst is yet to come.  Let the flood gates open.  Every evil, awful thing he has said and done needs to be exposed.  But I don't know if it would be enough to cause him to lose the election.  However, if he loses, he won't leave peacefully.  He made that very clear.

[libgirl2]

8 hours ago, RosyDaisy said:

I hate to say this, but I think last night's debate is a prelude of things to come.  Trump won't back out of the remaining debates, which will be just as awful as this one.  He straight up refused to denounce racism and gave racists the green light to unleash violence.  He also more or less said that he will not commit to a peaceful transfer of power.  I really think he will succeed in doing that.  Rufus help us all!

I have to admit, I'm worried what some of his wahoo followers are going to do since apparently he has called them to arms. I live in a mainly blue state (thank God) but who knows? I think he WANTS to see this. It feeds to his sense of self importance. He will be THE MOST IMPORTANT president of all time, so much so that his people FOUGHT for him. 

7 hours ago, Alisamer said:

Honestly short of putting Trump in a soundproof plexiglass box and only turning on his microphone during his turns I don't know that there's much that can be done to maintain order.

Trump has made it clear he has no respect for the office, the country, the world, the planet itself... I am not surprised he has no respect for the rules of debate. 

I really hope some elementary school teacher gets to ask a question at the town hall format and treats him like the bratty spoiled preschooler he is, making him wait his turn and listen when others are talking like the rest of us learned as toddlers.

I don't think he realizes that the citizens of the United States are his boss. He works for us.

I hope and pray he's not reelected. I don't think he will be. But if he is? Bye bye United States. Hopefully most of us who are sensible will be able to escape Trumplandia somehow.

I pray every day for Biden to win. 

Edited October 1, 2020 by libgirl2

[47of74]

3 hours ago, EmmieJ said:

Boy, I'm thoroughly sick of anyone who thinks Biden and Trump are comparable on any level.  

People can take their false equivalency bullshit and shove it up their asses in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Was Biden my first choice?  Nope. But he is a trillion times better than that fucking lump of orange shit that’s in there now. 

1 hour ago, RosyDaisy said:

Nothing will stop Trump from being a lying, insulting, bullying asshole during the debates.  Not new rules and not a kill switch on the microphone.  He thinks rules do not and should not apply to him.  He will continue to do whatever the hell he wants.  He's a narcissist with delusions for grandeur.  It's now up to Biden to figure out a way to combat that without stooping to Trump's level.  

Hell let me in the debates on Biden’s behalf. I have no problems with heading to the gutter to confront that orange piece of shit.  

[Destiny]

Boy, I'm thoroughly sick of anyone who thinks Biden and Trump are comparable on any level.  

Agreed. I don’t disagree with the point that it’s sexist as fuck that a woman could not have told her opponent to shut up, but the implication that it was both sides turned me off that article pretty quickly.

[Audrey2]

1 hour ago, RosyDaisy said:

Nothing will stop Trump from being a lying, insulting, bullying asshole during the debates.  Not new rules and not a kill switch on the microphone.  He thinks rules do not and should not apply to him.  He will continue to do whatever the hell he wants.  He's a narcissist with delusions for grandeur.  It's now up to Biden to figure out a way to combat that without stooping to Trump's level.  And it wouldn't hurt for more damaging information to be revealed about Trump.

Speaking of damaging information.  It seems to me the latest stuff has been perfectly timed.  Somebody or some group is behind this, and I can't help but wonder if the worst is yet to come.  Let the flood gates open.  Every evil, awful thing he has said and done needs to be exposed.  But I don't know if it would be enough to cause him to lose the election.  However, if he loses, he won't leave peacefully.  He made that very clear.

Would it be bad if I said that I hope there is so much bad information that they couldn't release it all in October and had to start putting it out there in September?