The first presidential debate is about a week away, and as it draws nearer, the talk about it will increase exponentially. Neither man can pull out now; it would look cowardly. Trump, of course, has no reason to withdraw. He looks to be in fine shape, physically and mentally, so there’s no cause for him to do anything other than look forward to the challenge. Biden won’t retreat, either, he’s too stubborn, and he can’t risk the accusations that his obviously failing mental and physical faculties are forcing him out. If he withdraws from the debate, he’ll have to withdraw from the presidential race as well. He will not, willingly, do either.
How does this debate stack up? Let me examine each candidate and what might occur.
1. Joe Biden. It is clear, even from Thailand, that Biden is losing it, physically and mentally. He looks like an 80-year-old man on the wrong side of 100. For all his vacations, being President of the United States is an incredibly stressful job for a person of any age. A man who was never very mentally acute in the first place, Biden is manifestly going downhill and seemingly more rapidly.
What are the Democrats going to do here? Are they going to sink or swim with Biden the whole way and try to successfully drag him across the finish line in November? I think this debate might answer the question. If Biden appears (relatively) sharp, as he did in the State of the Union Address, it will mean the Democrats have pumped him full of whatever goodies are necessary to get him through a 90-minute debate. If they don’t do that, they run the risk of Biden incoherently wandering off the stage and Trump having to bring him back. If the Dems allow the latter course, it means they are willing for the country to also recognize Biden’s failing abilities and that they want to drop him as their candidate. How Biden appears in the debate will depend upon whether the Democrats will stay with him through November, or whether they have plans to replace him in the near future.
From what I’ve been reading over the past few weeks, commentators are about 50-50 on whether the Democrats are going to stick with Biden or dump him. Maybe only Obama knows for sure.
2. Donald Trump. This is a great opportunity for Mr. Trump. He can win the election in this debate. So far, he has run a very good campaign. He has avoided the “Trumpian” errors of the past. He sounds reasonable, energetic, coherent, and strong. He must continue that in this debate.
The American people are going to be watching to see if Donald Trump has “changed” for the better. They want to see if Trump the bully, Trump the narcissist, Trump the arrogant prude, Trump the insulting, insufferable boor is still the Donald Trump of 2024. Or, has Mr. Trump “transformed” into a relatively decent politician. Trump certainly has every right to press his points and expose Joe Biden’s policies for the failures they have been. That is ok, and that is expected. But how is he going to do it? Will he be the vicious, bombastic Trump of old, or can he do it in a way that is not off-putting? That may determine who wins the election in November.
Americans (the 40% who aren’t dead-dog Democrats) are tired of Joe Biden and recognize how incompetent and hurtful he has been to the country (and world). But many of them voted against Donald Trump in 2020 (not for Joe Biden) because they couldn’t stand the man. Americans, however, are generous, largely forgiving people. They are looking at Trump this year, and polls (if they can be believed) indicate they are liking what they see so far and are willing to hear him out. If Trump is a horse’s behind in the debate, many Americans will sigh and say, “same old Trump,” and he will lose a lot of votes. But if he can appear...Presidential. Honorable. Strong. Positive for America. Yes, attack Biden’s policies, that’s allowable. But Trump must do that in a way that makes him look like a decent alternative to a weary old man. That’s what Americans are going to be looking for, and that is totally up to Donald Trump.
If Trump can handle the debate correctly, not be the Trumpian jerk that he has been in the past, then he can win the Presidency on June 27.
So, victory is within Donald Trump’s grasp. No thinking person (and there are millions of Americans who don’t think) wants Joe Biden back in the White House. He’s been absolutely horrible. But many may vote for him anyway if they aren’t convinced Donald Trump has outgrown his “Trumpiness.” Trump must prove to them he has. So far in the campaign, he’s done that. He must continue to do that, and the debate is a campaign stop the Biden-media can’t hide.
Be Presidential, Mr. Trump, be Presidential.
Check out my substack mklewis929.substack.com for all kinds of material. There’s lots of good stuff on Leftism, the Founders, etc., along with Biblical studies, so sign up. Video podcast every week for paid subscribers. Follow me on Twitter: @thailandmkl. Read my western novels, Whitewater , River Bend, Return to River Bend, and Allie’s Dilemma all available on Amazon.
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