If it’s all the same, I’ll forego the debate and just imbibe while arranging a BBQ Surf & Turf since we’re being assaulted with Indian Summer weather. I will make one allowance to their age and listen to the Vinyl Rock Sirius/XM music station for the evening since both remind me of seriously warped records from having spent too much time in the sun.

Posted by: karlof1 | Sep 29 2020 20:24 utc | 3

i have already been drinking! i am going to wait for circes blow by blow report.. that will sober me up!

Posted by: james | Sep 29 2020 20:46 utc | 5

@TG 4 Try imagining those two in bathing suits. That will make you want to drink.

Posted by: par4 | Sep 29 2020 20:59 utc | 7

Posted by: TG | Sep 29 2020 20:26 utc | 4 Debates are about as useless as a bathing suit contest.
I disagree. Bathing suit contests are *way* more useful than debates. At least you have something to look at. The only thing worth looking at in a debate is maybe some brainless “news babe” who happens to be moderating. Even then, I can’t be bothered.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Sep 29 2020 21:15 utc | 9

I really should get to working on my spectacular ‘new’ (revived) preternatural website (wait till it gets started next week!), and I really should wait for the ‘debate’ to start drinking.
But… ah, frigg it. My personal debauchery will commence right now. What difference, at this point, does it make?
This is going to be a virtual hurricane, but with extremely toxic wind. Somebody in the press gallery will surely run amok and need to be put down.

Posted by: blues | Sep 29 2020 21:25 utc | 11

“Anyone watching the presidential election debate tonight?”
Sorry, B, no. I have better and more pleasant ways to waste my time… but it will probably be surrealistic…

Posted by: Anonymous Canada | Sep 29 2020 21:34 utc | 13

Waste of time. Go to bed early, and tomorrow hunt up a transcript somewhere. No matter what happens, the media will declare Biden the winner. Chris Wallace, the Kamala Harris of broadcast news!

Posted by: clark | Sep 29 2020 22:17 utc | 15

Just give ’em a deck of cards and a set of poker chips and let them have at each other.
Antoinetta III

Posted by: Antoinetta III | Sep 29 2020 22:41 utc | 17

I’ll watch debates just as soon as they’re not conducted by the private corporation co-owned by the Democratic and Republican parties and third parties get equal time. And, and with a proper debate format where the candidates can go back and forth with each other.

Posted by: worldblee | Sep 29 2020 23:05 utc | 19

If ONLY they let Mystery Science Theater 3000 moderate and comment on the debate.
It’s going to be EPIC!!!!

Posted by: Joanna | Sep 29 2020 23:24 utc | 21

Will Trump take the high road? Or the low road?
Or will the Orange Fox pull something out of the hat?
Will Biden offer some irresistible new bait? Jubilee the student loans? Tax Jeffrey Bezos?
Enquiring minds want to know!

Posted by: blues | Sep 29 2020 23:42 utc | 23

=> Nathan Mulcahy | Sep 29 2020 23:50 utc | 24
Another of us horror movie fans.

Posted by: blues | Sep 29 2020 23:53 utc | 25

I won’t be watching the debate – it is being livestreamed by The Sydney Morning Herald at 10:30am (Australian Eastern Standard Time) – but would interested to know who’ll be doing the most lip-synching of the two on the video re-enactments … oops, repeats.

Posted by: Jen | Sep 30 2020 0:28 utc | 27

Posted by: Antoinetta III | Sep 29 2020 22:41 utc | 18 Just give ’em a deck of cards and a set of poker chips and let them have at each other.
I’d prefer dueling pistols at point-blank range. What samurai used to call a “mutual slaying.” LOL
Meanwhile, I just read an article relevant to this election from a guy who went through the Sri Lanka civil war. Well worth reading.
The Collapse is Here…from Someone Who Lived Through One Elsewhere….
While you’re at it, look up “Selco Begovic”. He has a couple books on Amazon and teaches a course in prepping. He survived the Bosnian civil war and his advice is entirely based on his experiences in that conflict. Here’s a sample of his writings.

Posted by: Richard Steven Hack | Sep 30 2020 0:48 utc | 29

Tonight’s Debate Show
The MAGA Pussy-grabber vs. I’m the guy! Malarkey.
=
– These two pro-establishment Centrists will accuse each other of being too radical to govern.
– They will disagree about who supports Israel more.
– Inconvenient truths (aka “cheap shots”) that are sure to pop-up: Trump’s tax returns; Hunter Biden.
– Pre-arranged “gaff”?: a “senior moment” for Biden followed by Trump’s too-harsh mockery of it.
– Playing to the ‘base’: Supreme Court nominee rabbithole; ‘racial justice’ vs. ‘law and order’ rabbithole.
– Topics likely avoided (MSM memory-holed):

– assassination of Iranian Gen. Soleimani;
– massive wealth inequality;
– Flynn prosecution;
– Biden’s sex accuser;
– Epstein;
– Wall Street and Boeing bailouts;
– Yemen and North Korea.

Deep State messaging conveyed this Trump-Biden performance: Foreign enemies are taking advantage of USA divisions! A foreshadowing the future domestic crack-down on dissent.
Drink: every time Biden makes a concession

– importance of Law and Order;
– China is to blame for virus devastation (not Trump, BoJo, Macron, ..)
– Trump has solved the Arab-Israeli conflict (he’s a peacemaker!)

Enjoy the Show!
(Brought to you by USA Duopoly Inc., a subsidiary of Imperial NWO – Are you with us or against us?)
PS Reposted from Trump Taxes thread.
!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Sep 30 2020 1:01 utc | 31

Kayabe!
The RedBlue Uniparty is pulling out all the stops! Come one come all! Bring your popcorn and perhaps some beer because you are going to need it

Posted by: Chevrus | Sep 30 2020 1:10 utc | 33

I watched the first few minutes, but then switched to the Chalkboard Scraping channel for relief. Did Trump borrow Boris Johnson’s hairdresser for the occasion?

Posted by: elkern | Sep 30 2020 1:29 utc | 35

@james,
I’m listening to the debate and sober with no plans on doing damage to my body because an orange golem is making me feel sad.

Posted by: lizard | Sep 30 2020 1:48 utc | 37

SBS.com.au began re-broadcasting ABC America’s livestream of the debate at 11am Oz EST. It’s now 11-50am and Sleepy hasn’t had any Senior Moments so far. It’s fairly undisciplined/poorly moderated and both Trump and Biden are talking over and interrupting the other. If either of them is using a teleprompter, it’s not obvious.

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Sep 30 2020 1:53 utc | 39

Watched like 20 minutes of it. Trump interrupting every 3 seconds, Biden occasionally spacing out mid-sentence, but both have brief moments of clarity where they get a full talking point in. Mostly tho… why are these the 2 men on stage? what did we do wrong?

Posted by: ptb | Sep 30 2020 2:00 utc | 41

A clown show
United Circus of America
More than 350 million people and we have to choose between these two Clowns
Very sad

Posted by: WOW | Sep 30 2020 2:10 utc | 43

I prefer this faceoff, with these two old numbnuts, rather than Killary, or worse Obama, whom I actually believed and was betrayed by. These two old farts are comparatively harmless.

Posted by: Featherless | Sep 30 2020 2:13 utc | 45

@ lizard… fair enough! i hear you… that is smart… i am stupid, lol.. i get fully sucked in and then contemplate it afterwards… and yet this debate is so outrageous, if this doesn’t demonstrate what is in that link @29 richard shared, i don’t know what does… here is the link richard gave…
The Collapse is Here…from Someone Who Lived Through One Elsewhere….

Posted by: james | Sep 30 2020 2:21 utc | 47

the matt taibbi and kate halper link was screwed up.. they didn’t have the audio right.. they messed up – unintentionally i am sure.. i had to listen to this via cbc news..
wallace is not a capable person for this job… he keeps calling biden vice president… this whole thing needed someone different to stop these 2 jackasses from interrupting each other constantly… i kept on watching it because it was so bad!! i figure i have watched the worst debate of all time!

Posted by: james | Sep 30 2020 2:28 utc | 49

@ c1ue | Sep 30 2020 2:32 utc | 50… we see it differently! here is what i said to my friend in colorado..i guess it is in the eye of the beholder…
unfortunately biden doesn’t come across as very strong or convincing… trump comes across as strong, but extremely annoying… he’s a real ass! it is a race between a lightweight and a real ass!

Posted by: james | Sep 30 2020 2:35 utc | 51

in a nutshell the debate was unbelievable…surreal… we treat one another incredibly more civil here at moa!! that was like all star mud wrestling with these 2 guys… it would have been more fun if they had of been mud wrestling… i feel embarrassed for the people in the usa for what i witnessed tonight… i wouldn’t wish that leadership dynamic on my enemy….

Posted by: james | Sep 30 2020 2:43 utc | 53

Summary of the debate:
Trump Off The Rails
Best line of the night: Will you shut up, man!?

Posted by: Circe | Sep 30 2020 2:50 utc | 55

Single weak MSM moderator was a built-in advantage for Trump as he is a natural, and practiced, bully.
!!

Posted by: Jackrabbit | Sep 30 2020 3:04 utc | 57

@ c1ue… i agree with you… we see all that much the same.. i really don’t have a stake in the race.. i honestly think the nov 3rd date is going to be painful to watch as i don’t believe the outcome will be known until much time after the nov 3rd date…. the whole usa looks messed up as a consequence… the leadership is unconvincing.. the debate was a gong show… i don’t think it bodes well for the usa going forward here… i hope i am wrong..

Posted by: james | Sep 30 2020 3:06 utc | 59

Trump was clearly trying to get Biden’s goat and have him blow up or have a stroke on live TV (going after Hunter Biden’s corruption, etc..). The closest he got was Biden saying “will you shut up man?”, but that was it. Nothing major here aside from the farce the US elections have become found a new lowest depth. I suspect that Nancy will site this joke of a debate as a reason why Biden shouldn’t debate Trump anymore, while Biden’s people will see his “good” performance as a reason to put Biden out more often (and yes have more debates with Trump). I cant imagine this debate changing anyone’s mind on who to vote for, but it might have convinced some undecided voters to just site this election out.

Posted by: Kadath | Sep 30 2020 3:12 utc | 61

Two moments which might resonate with voters – the first when Wallace asked each about an orderly transition and you could see the halo over Biden’s head. Yes, on his part it would be, and even if he didn’t win – no problem. Then to Trump, and his exasperation seemed genuine – what orderly transition did he have, has he had throughout his term of office, and even still? Then he made some statements (none too clear) of disclosures of wrongdoing on the part of various players in that obstruction of his own transition – which would soon be occurring.
The other moment was with respect to the validity of the ballot count – that Trump already is referring to ballots lost, extra ballots and other discrepancies. Biden is fine with the system. He could have attacked Trump on the mixup of postal sorting machines thrown out by Trump’s new PO chief. But no, it’s all gonna be fair and above board, says Biden. Hmmm.
Otherwise, yes to all the above!

Posted by: juliania | Sep 30 2020 3:25 utc | 63

Sounds to like 🇮🇱 won

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Sep 30 2020 3:44 utc | 65

That is : “sounds to like 🇮🇱 won”
I blame it on the Arak and the dt’s.

Posted by: uncle tungsten | Sep 30 2020 3:45 utc | 67

Dumb move:
Trump told neo fascist Proud Boys to stand back AND stand by.
Proud boys replied to Trump online: Standing down and standing by, sir.
Biden was not stellar, but Trump lost the debate badly. His performance was an almost incoherent continuous rant from start to finish.

Posted by: Circe | Sep 30 2020 4:08 utc | 69

Trump has an ocean of ammunition, but he needs to learn to squeeze the trigger instead of pulling it. He landed a lot of shots, but he could have landed them better. Everything he said should have been more specific with more description. He should have practiced a strategy of softening Biden up with jabs instead of swinging right from the get go. I think he could have done a lot more damage on race by a hard-fact approach on Joe’s record. Also, Trump could have trained to give a more competent recitation of his administrations successes. He left out: getting the wall built and getting a grip on border issues, peace developments in the middle east, drawing down troops, the criminal justice bill.
Biden held up mentally better than I expected. Truly, his record is one of the worst in living history, and his policies are a grotesque chimera of trend-appeal false promises, but somehow most of this wasn’t brought home. Even so, he lost his equilibrium at least twice, telling Trump shut up and calling him a clown. He managed to pull himself together and stop doing that though. Also, he was effective for his base in a sickening way when he turned to the camera and vogued a few empty phrases. Biden may have won the debate by not losing. But I do wonder how many Democrats secretly hoped that Biden would fare poorly and step aside.
Neither candidate did much give any sense of a cogent general policy should he be elected

Posted by: Figgy | Sep 30 2020 4:34 utc | 71

Posted by: Copeland | Sep 30 2020 4:43 utc | 71
“There are more Americans than it is comfortable to admit who seem to think that Trump looks like a president”
Trump is the most typical president of the post-WWII era, and the president that most naturalistically reflects what political-economic America really is. That’s why the Democrats, many Republicans and elites in general have such visceral loathing for him: He demolishes one of the pillars of neoliberalism, the carefully crafted facade of lies which was well-represented by Clinton, Obama, even Bush.
By the reverse side of the same coin, it’s not surprising that there are many Americans that are sick of this humbug and find Trump’s dissolution of it a breath of fresh air, who want their president to faithfully channel and express the US id.
“Some didn’t take in his reply to the question about whether he would seriously condemn extremism on the right.
But it is not surprising to hear him say that he only believes that extremism exists on the left. In the debate he said the Proud Boys would hold back until they are needed. That’s where he sees his support.”
Nope, not surprising. Of course Trump would say that on principle, as a matter of tactics (it’s never advisable to submit to the challenge, “will you condemn…”, especially where your opponent is the same as you and is merely being a hypocrite when he challenges you that way), and as a matter of existential strategy, since the Democrats already have telegraphed that if they lose they’ll attempt a forcible coup. In that eventuality Trump will need all the support of whatever kind he can get.
I’m assuming Trump countered with (unless he started such challenges), “Will you condemn the destructive rioting stemming from the BLM/Antifa protests”. What did Biden reply to that? I’d assume the same kind of reply as Trump gave.
Overall it sounds like nothing exceptional happened in the debate, it was what everyone expected, Biden may benefit from low expectations, everyone will interpret it according to their prior agenda, and it’ll change no minds.

Posted by: Russ | Sep 30 2020 5:12 utc | 73

Is there any objective analysis of the debate in any media.

Posted by: Conman | Sep 30 2020 6:16 utc | 75

If I were american 2 points would stick:
1) Biden: I will undue the Trump taxcuts
2) Biden: There will be no more oil, gas, coal and nuclear energy
BR

Posted by: JM | Sep 30 2020 10:23 utc | 77

For those old enough to remember Bob and Ray comedy duo, wouldn’t they have done a wonderful play by play of this farce? LOL

Posted by: Tom | Sep 30 2020 11:09 utc | 79

HA! Biden called Trump, Putin’s Puppylast night!
But why oh why didn’t Wallace bring up the fact that Trump is indebted to foreign entities to the tune of hundreds of millions due in the next 4 years? I would have loved to hear Trump explain who lent him $450 million to save his failing businesses? Trump is in a hole and he just keeps on digging.

Posted by: Circe | Sep 30 2020 11:34 utc | 81

So the only option for amerikans in 2020 is: keep yer heads down & yer conscience clear by not voting for either lame sad sack.
Posted by: Debsisdead | Sep 30 2020 6:59 utc

Great advice if you want Ziofascist Trump for 4 more years!
FYI, over a quarter of the votes have already been mailed.

Posted by: Circe | Sep 30 2020 11:45 utc | 83

I’am not American, I have not been to North America, but I have been all over the rest of the place, well not Antartica, but even Patagonia of all places, most of Africa, and Russia and Asia (excluding Japan) (money ran out) also, and every country in Europe.
It does not make you more clever than everyone else, but having travelled a lot gives you perspective, and if you are able to gather that and store it in your brain you might become a little bit wiser. Might!
The USA boasts of being the largest democracy in the world… It is far from, I would guess China, India could compete for that spot if all comes to all. The USA is an oligarchy, where rich people thrive and poor people die, inequality is rampant, as it is in South America, but better camouflaged in the US. I have not been there as previously stated, but I do have a gigabit connection to the web, and having no problem understanding English, French and Spanish, the cry outs are numerous. The Us is rotting from the inside!
The us is a far cry from the vision of J.F.K and his visions, instead we got the warmonger Johnson.
And now we have Trump and the English have got Boris…
OHHH mores et tempers!

Posted by: Den lille Abe | Sep 30 2020 12:32 utc | 85

There is an excellent chance in my view that much of Trump’s money wasn’t lost but hidden away, in foreign bank accounts, and falsified as losses. But I admit, the alternative theory, that everyone who really believes Trump was a successful businessman was a gullible fool, is very plausible.
Once again, every analysis that starts from the premise that Trump “won” the election in 2016 is Trumpery. Trump fluked out in the Electoral College. That is indeed the law, but everyone who believes the letter of the law is moral, is morally vicious.

Posted by: steven t johnson | Sep 30 2020 12:37 utc | 87

I drank early, so I thought it was incredibly great entertainment in a very dark train wreck sort of way. It harkened back to my childhood when my brothers and I would scream at eachother about politics. It was hilarious and I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time.
Biden was amazingly well prepared, which means he most likely was given the questions prior. Given this was WWE, that is no surprise.
I agree Trump made a mistake in talking over Biden, as it did not look good. Both are very adept liars, if one knew the facts, but given most do not, they were effective.
It was a mistake when Trump went off script and went narcissistic about how everyone proclaimed he handled Covid. No one can make that look good.
Trimp did get a good shot in on Hunter when Biden tried to conflate Hunter with Beau, and he called him on it., but again this is inside baseball and the average viewer probably did not pick up on it.
Nothing learned, but great entertainment.

Posted by: Michael | Sep 30 2020 12:45 utc | 89

Trump was so hot under the collar you could see his makeup melting.
Babyman did everything to get attention, but beat the podium with his shoe.
Trump showed zero self-restraint. Let’s be honest, his whole debate strategy went up in flames, and all his opponent needed to do was stand back and let him self-destruct. It was the Hindenburg disaster.

Posted by: Circe | Sep 30 2020 13:04 utc | 91

I only have wine for cooking (an actual California burgundy, tastes best as a marinate for meat, add garlic, ginger etc.). I guess I will abstain from alcohol and debates.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Sep 30 2020 13:11 utc | 93

I didn’t watch, but have checked a couple clips. I find it surprising that Team Dim thinks Trump’s shout-out to the “Proud Boys” was some kind of political blunder. That and their cackling over Biden’s “shut up man” line shows that they still do not understand why they lost in 2016. That gives the advantage to Trump, despite Trump’s poor performance as President.
As for the polls showing Biden ahead, there is a reason that polls were off in 2016. People intending to throw a Molotov cocktail at the establishment do not announce it ahead of time. The establishment has given people no reason to stop wanting to throw Molotov cocktails at them, so polls will still be off this year, and Trump is still the human Molotov cocktail.

Posted by: William Gruff | Sep 30 2020 14:14 utc | 95

Nobody won this “debate”. But America lost.

Posted by: Mike Ghirelli | Sep 30 2020 14:24 utc | 97

Bemildred | Sep 30 2020 10:38 utc | 78
Man, I did not want to watch that, but forced myself. Almost turned it off after the first 5 minutes. For once I have to agree with most of punditocracy of the beltway boobs (msm political analysts): If all of the polling that has been ongoing is accurate and Biden is leading, then that will remain the case as Trump did nothing to try to widen his appeal. Pundits also agree that a very low bar was set for Biden which he easily cleared.
In the end I watched because I had my doubts that Biden would survive what turned out to be worse than even I expected. I’m pretty sure that all of Trump’s advisers and coaches were certain that they’d have Biden on the ropes within 5 minutes – 10 max. That didn’t happen, but that was the only strategy they brought to that knife-fight, and it didn’t work. Sorry to all you Trump supporters here, but I think in 3 to 5 days we’ll see a moderate widening of Biden’s lead in the polling. Moderate only because most have made up their minds already.
If anyone backs out of the future planned debates, my bet is on the Trump camp as the full damage (to Trump) becomes clear in the next few days. I also expect Trump to exclaim on Twitter that Chris Wallace ambushed him and that he (Trump) was treated very unfairly.
As Kurt Vonnegut said: “And so it goes.”

Posted by: vinnieoh | Sep 30 2020 14:38 utc | 99