How Biden Should Debate Trump - WSJ McGurn

[question everything]

Now, McGurn is as rabid as they come. Normally I don't bother to read his columns but the title intrigued me.

So, after going for most of the column how Trump is not, will not, be Sanders, and after pointing to Biden's "gaffes" and being angry, with supporters - like the one in Detroit when he told him he was full of shit - he concluded:

Mr. Trump will absolutely aim to get under Mr. Biden’s skin in hopes of provoking a game-changing gaffe. Say what you will about the president, no one doubts his ability to get under people’s skins.

There’s a better way forward for Mr. Biden than trying to out-Trump Mr. Trump, and it comes from his own past. His new campaign adviser, Jen O’Malley Dillon, could do worse than sit her client down to watch the 2012 vice presidential debate. Paul Ryan, running with Mr. Romney, was calm, measured and informed. The future House speaker made no real missteps in pressing a far better substantive case. Even so, Mr. Biden ran away with the debate.

Not by confusing anger for passion. But by dispatching Mr. Ryan with smiles and the slight condescension of a man who’d been in the business for many years. The Joe Biden of 2012 gave an impressive performance against his GOP rival.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-biden-should-debate-trump-11584398281 (subscription)

[Miles Archer]

1. I don't think he'll debate him

Of course, even if the coronavirus is used as an excuse, they COULD do a split-screen closed circuit debate.

But I don't think it's going to happen, because despite all of his swaggering arrogance, Trump's smart enough to know that not only will Biden defend himself, he'll also go on offense, and Trump couldn't handle it. Biden's not afraid of him. He can't handle that either.

[LakeArenal]

2. No way Joe wants to "out trump Trump"

Joe will be Joe Biden. That’s what America wants.

[Mr.Bill]

3. Biden made Ryan

look like an ignorant 14 year old child.

[yellowdogintexas]

5. he certainly did! That was a stellar moment!

I stood up and cheered

[Blue_true]

7. After that first debate by President Obama, I was apprehensive,

Lyin Ryan was coming in with such a big rep, I figured that Joe would be lucky to stay close to him. But Joe plummeled that asshole, Joe delivered the goods, I too was cheering as Joe dismantled Lyin Ryan. Joe came in prepared and sharp, just like he was for Bernie on Sunday.

[Drunken Irishman]

10. It was the first and only debate I ever watched that I didn't want to end.

It was so much fun watching him just thoroughly destroy Ryan.

[Thekaspervote]

4. Trump will never agree to a debate with Biden!

[trof]

6. He will invoke 'national crisis'.

[BootinUp]

8. Joe Biden was a pleasure to watch in that debate. nt

[SKKY]

9. And that debate was so very important to the ticket...

...coming on the heels of the egg Obama laid in his first debate with Romney.

[BGBD]

11. He did the same

with Bernie.

Bernie came into the debate thinking he would do exactly that. The PAC line was a setup for just that. All Biden did was laugh at him. Sanders was trying to argue that Biden was being funded by all of these rich people and dark money, but he was also broke just a few weeks ago. Also, he had to remind Bernie that there was some PACs supporting him as well, even if nobody wants to acknowledge that they are PACs.

What's Trump going to bring up at the debate that Biden isn't going to be able to handle? I certainly hope he brings up Hunter. I'd love to have a conversation about Trumps kids on national Television.

[peggysue2]

12. Bloomberg's team has said that if the Trump campaign goes after Hunter . . .

They will go scorched earth on the Trump kids, the Grifter Princess and both Grifter Princes.

Don't think that's a idle threat either.

[BGBD]

13. Trump

took Jareds advice on COVID-19 when Jared told him it wasn't going to be a big deal.

I'm not sure that we'd even need to go past that one. Much of Trump aweful and slow response to COVID-19 was because he put his son-in-law, who's only qualification for anything was being born rich, into a position to influence US policy, and then listened to him on the single most important issue of his presidency.

[peggysue2]

14. Jared did as good a job on the pandemic issue as . . .

He did formulating the Israeli/Palestinian peace plan. As in:

Not. At. All.

Have no idea why he turned the issue over to Kushner who has absolutely no medical expertise. But, of course, it does give Trump someone to blame. Never being accountable seems to be a constant note in Trump's biography. The only thing that appears to have caught Trump's attention was the possibility of 2.2 million American deaths if the virus spread unabated.

These people have to go. Before they kill all of us.