Joe Biden, busy being president, is leaving most of the prep sessions for his big debate against Donald Trump to the last minute. Trump's team says the ex-president doesn't need much practice.... The message from Trump's campaign: Debate rehearsals are beneath us. We have nothing to worry about....
Both men have done plenty of debates in the past, including with each other, and they're unlikely to change their style. They could bone up on likely questions — on the substance — but what's the point? Both men will finesse or bungle their way through. I expect Biden to have some prepared one-liners, but there's no value to pre-memorizing that stuff.
Earlier this year, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients was given a friendly reminder by a bipartisan group of former chiefs of staff that incumbent presidents tend to do poorly in their first re-election debate. Their advice was unambiguous: Make time for debate prep or expect the worst. Remember those sluggish performances by Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Barack Obama. Four years ago, Trump's just-had-COVID-19 performance was, like the debate itself, kind of a mess....
I'm skeptical about this debate happening at all. I think Biden's people are looking for the opportunity to bow out and are going to snap up something that Trump says wrong. Their standard for how bad it needs to be will drop as the debate nears, but in the end, something will be seized on that will be used a reason to declare that the President of the United States cannot share the stage with the obnoxious old orange one. Which would, of course, explain why Biden is not preparing.
That's just my opinion. What's yours?
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61 comments:
Jeb!
Bush?
Train wreck.... fast approaching.
"Neither Biden nor Bush is doing much to prepare for the debate."
Bush? Someone didn't get her sleep...
Yikes.
"Typo" fixed
Mind-o
good thing I'm not debating
Is it 1988 again?
I'm rather amazed how many people think Biden will not be the left's nominee.
He makes the perfect husk-puppet for the Arabellas.
The typo lives on in the URL
Trump won't be debating the walking cadaver, he will be debating the moderators ...... all night long.
I’m looking forward to another appearance by juiced-up, angry, overly aggressive Biden.
The one the Democrats called “feisty”.
They are going to cut Trump's mic off if it looks like he is saying anything that could hurt the husk-puppet and the husk-puppet's narrative and lies.
"but there's no value to pre-memorizing that stuff. "
He wouldn't remember it, anyways.
"I'm rather amazed how many people think Biden will not be the left's nominee."
I can't imagine how he can be. He's got dementia and his polls suck.
Will the candidates be allowed to interact?
If not, who cares.
Joe Biden, busy being president, is leaving most of the prep sessions for his big debate against Donald Trump to the last minute.
of course, Joe's prep for The Big Debate will be:
a) going into a medically induced coma for a few days..
b) being taken out of the medically induced coma..
c) being pumped up with enough speed to kill a person with an operating body..
d) listening to the voice in his ear, and reading the teleprompter..
Serious Questions:
There is NOT going to be an audience.. Will the two Presidents both be in the same room?
Or will Biden be allowed to 'phone it in'??
Will Biden respond to statements made by Trump? or will he (or his pretaped image) stick to the script?
It’s the TV guys that need the pre debate practice in the art of keeping the Meandering Dementia patient in focus…maybe they can use a wide angle lens.
We can only hope that the drug cocktail pumped into Biden is calibrated right. He needs to be sharp and use real words for just the right timing, while not coming across as hyper.
It's probably a lie. Biden needs constant drilling to deliver his canned lines convincingly, and even then he makes mistakes. Meanwhile, Donald Trump isn't making the huge error of bringing in Chris Christie (bleh) for debate prep. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that only a small core is helping him practice for the debate.
i've OFTEN stated that resident Biden would die be BY the 1st night of the convention
(possibly on TV)
i just want to point out, that:
If Biden dies during the debate; BOTH of these predicts will be true
Line being practiced by Old Joe until he knows it by heart,
"Mr. Former President, I served with Donald Trump. I knew Donald Trump. Donald Trump was a friend of mine."
"Mr. Former President, you're no Donald Trump!"
Neither man can afford to withdraw, so neither man will.
Biden will withdraw. I heard somewhere yesterday (maybe it was just someone's speculation) that the Biden team was insisting that the candidates would sit - not stand - for the debate. Even if that's a false rumor, I can easily imagine them making demand after demand and when Trump finally says "no" - that will be their reason for withdrawing
Trump is actually campaigning smartly. Big rallies that must be covered by the local news - and it's no big deal if the national news isn't covering those appearances. A meeting with Congressional leaders - and he didn't bloviate for 20 minutes afterwards. Attending a UFC match - immediately after his conviction. Keeping his mouth shut regarding Fani Willis (that alone is remarkable).
Pundits always predicting a pol will gracefully step down, withdraw etc but that's not how they roll.
It's push, push, push all the time and that's how they got where they are.
Joe's best debate performance is just a needle away.
(To Hillary:)'...because you'd be in jail' - Trump's best debate performance is just a needle away, too.
I've never watched a single presidential debate, starting with Nixon vs Kennedy, which I could see switched on in the next room but didn't investigate. A bunch of college political nerds were watching though. Maybe it was a course requirement.
In the prior instances the incumbent faced a challenger fresh off primary debates leading to his victory. Here neither Trump nor Biden has debated since they last met in 2020. Plus, they are both old. Trump has been holding rallies but not sure that helps or hurts when the most memorable part of Vegas was the electrocution vs shark thing. I voted that the debate goes forward. Who votes for acts of God?
Trump should have his people livestream the event on Truth social so any monkey business by CNN cinematographers can be exposed. This also gets around the chyron guy slipping in "CONVICTED FELON/FORMER PRESIDENT" under Trump's name and/or likeness during the intro. Every conservative should know to, as Glenn "Insty" often advises, "bring your own camera and tape recorder."
Trump recently did an almost hour-long session with Logan Paul (Impaulsive). They talked about everything from UFC to aliens to Russia China and Iran. Trump repeats himself some throughout and is still self-centered as usual, but presents a calm, almost fun side. Trump is usually his worst enemy as he comes across as angry and mean. If he flips on the "nicer, calmer" switch it would benefit him.
busy being president
Uh huh.
Althouse:
I expect Biden to have some prepared one-liners, but there's no value to pre-memorizing that stuff.
Don't matter if you can't remember them correctly. He screws up one-liners all the time.
I don't see how Biden gets out of it. Especially now that his senility has broken into the mainstream, if he withdraws everyone will know the real reason no matter what particular excuse he uses.
As for prepping, if it were an issues debate, then they would need to bone up on all the possible topics. But I doubt either of them are interested in that kind of debate. They'll keep the facts surface level and talk about whatever they want to talk about regardless of the questions.
Biden can't withdraw- he was the one who issued the challenge. I know the challenge was a bluff by the Biden Moron Team- they expected Trump to decline since it was CNN, but Trump called the bluff and Biden does have to show.
something will be seized on that will be used a reason to declare that the President of the United States cannot share the stage with the obnoxious old orange one.
Project Convicted Felon was supposed to get the job done.
Project Convicted Felon failed.
Readering:
Here neither Trump nor Biden has debated since they last met in 2020. Plus, they are both old.
Yes, but only Biden is decrepit.
In order for Biden to be able to prepare they have to feed him amphetamines.
These shorten your life and progress the dementia.
The reason Biden has declined so drastically this year is because they hop him up for special occasions. If they bumped him up to study every day he would be dead by the debate.
Just yesterday the AP reported that Biden would be spending a week at Camp David prepping for the debate.
This article is prepping an excuse.
Trump is doing field training without a net (e.g. JournoLists).
"Trump is usually his worst enemy as he comes across as angry and mean."
I have yet to see an example of Trump pubically exhibiting anything that could accurately be described as anger.
I have seen many reports of such, none accompanied by evidence.
Having watched Joe wander around in a cow pasture in Italy a couple of days ago, I doubt that Joe will be able to remember any of his prepared one line zingers. But we'll see.
Biden will get the questions in advance. His "prep" will consist of rehearsed answers to those questions, along with copious stimulants.
My guess is that Biden will say something like "I'm not going to debate with a convicted felon" and withdraw
Come on, man.
Debating Trump is like playing chess with a pigeon. You can't. He just knocks over the pieces and craps on the board.
Biden did well against Trump in the 2020 debates. He’s got a certain “aww shucks” grandpa charisma that works well for many voters, especially against Trump’s endless self-centered bluster.
Biden is clearly more tired now. But Trump also has acquired a significant handicap since: he goes completely off the rails to rant about the 2020 election and its aftermath. There’s a small section of the electorate who cares, but to most people it makes him seem stuck in past grievances and unable to move forward. Biden might be clever to keep him ranting and let Trump himself remind people of why they don’t want him back.
IMO — Trump will decide not to debate.
"Neither Biden nor Bush is doing much to prepare for the debate."
Well, I bet Bush isn't doing much to prepare for the debate either. So, maybe we can label this as fake, but accurate.
Biden will come with 1000 cue cards and an aid to help pick the right ones to say. Pumped up with Adrenalin, and either donepezil or rivastigmine.
Trump will just bring himself.
Shorter LLR-democratical Rich: Joe Biden is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I've ever known in my life.
LOL
DNC Rich said: "Biden did well against Trump in the 2020 debates. He’s got a certain “aww shucks” grandpa charisma that works well for many voters, especially against Trump’s endless self-centered bluster.
I know it's Friday, but you seem to be hitting the bottle a little early, Richie.
gilbar said… Or will Biden be allowed to 'phone it in'??
If so, Google will supply the White House with an AI deepfake of Biden to take/answer all questions. It will be the Trump/Max Headroom debate.
"Neither Biden nor Trump is doing much to prepare for the debate. Why is that?"
Because Biden already has the questions and his team is working on options for how to answer them. And while Trump doesn't have access to the questions, he doesn't care what the questions will be. He's comfortable speaking off the cuff for as long as they'll let him.
Yancey Ward said...
"Biden can't withdraw- he was the one who issued the challenge."
Biden has two choices:
1. Find an excuse to cancel the debate and risk looking like a coward.
2. Do the debate and possibly prove to the country that he's not mentally fit to be President.
I think that option 1 is the lesser of two evils.
What Temujin said above.
Will the candidates be allowed to interact?
=================
will FJB attempt to sniff DJT goldylocks [a la gore to bush]
Biden is clearly more tired now.
Pity... For a while Rich was putting forth the occasional challenging comment. Rich, are you OK?
The above reminds me of a friend of mine, a lovely woman with almost no personal peccadilloes (peccadillos? Hmm), much less vices. Her husband, OTOH, enjoys entertaining and has been known to overserve his guests (and himself) - fortunately his guests all live in the neighborhood, walked to their house, and can walk home (after a fashion). Occasionally he manages to get his wife to come along for the festivities.
The next morning, she'll characterize her thumping hangover as, "I'm just so tired today!"
CONVICTED FELON/FORMER PRESIDENT
I'm not sure which is worse.
"Will the candidates be allowed to interact?"
That's a good question.
How exactly would Trump prepare for hostile "moderators"? Trump's best game is to let Biden talk without roughing him up, but then hammer what the administration has done with the air that Biden hasn't been the one in control. Biden and the moderators will be discombobulated
RMc said...
CONVICTED FELON/FORMER PRESIDENT
Why not Enemy of the State/former president?
Lowering expectations. Biden isn't preparing, so of course he'll do poorly.
There won’t be a debate.
Biden wants to sit. Let him.
Trump should say I want to stand. He should stand.
Make the moderators crazy!
Sit? Stand? why not a compromise--each can get into a crouching position. And stalk each other around the room as they debate. Can we have scantily clad moderators showing their score cards between each segment? I'm thinking that's just the way to connect with the TikTok crowd. For that matter, a number of metal folding chairs in the ring, err, forum, couldn't hurt.
Biden can't and Trump doesn't have to.
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