# 2020 POTUS Debate 1 (29 September) follow-along and discussion thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 30, 2020, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854 "2020-09-30T00:30:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/301 "2020-09-30T03:18:22Z")
“Proud Boys stand back and stand by” is really standing out in the reddit threads and Twitter feeds. That may be a quote that the Biden campaign will use again and again. ---
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/302 "2020-09-30T03:18:52Z")
Wallace did the best anyone could, without standing up and shouting down the president, and without having a mute button. What are you to do when someone outright refuses to shut up? Hell, he did raise his voice considerably. Trump was fairly successful, in part, because of Biden’s stutter problem. Constantly interrupting makes things difficult. His mind races ahead of his mouth, and every time he stops he has to reset a bit. He’s not the guy I would have picked to go up against Trump, I would prefer someone a bit faster and more fluid with their responses. Still the best TV I’ve seen in awhile. It was worth it to me to hear Trump be called a clown, a liar, and the worst president this country has ever had right to his face. Been wanting to see that for years. Oh, and Biden told him to shut up. I enjoyed that. It was a shitshow. Biden agreed to wrestle a pig. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/303 "2020-09-30T03:19:10Z")
> [@John\_Bredin](#): > > “Stand back and stand by.” As in stand by for further instructions. The first sentence was so unsubtle that your second sentence is totally unnecessary. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/304 "2020-09-30T03:19:27Z")
Huh? If you are looking at how Biden will behave as a president what would you suggest we use to determine that? ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/305 "2020-09-30T03:21:16Z")
How about Biden’s actual words and plans? His plans, not what self-anointed experts in the media decide are better for him. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/306 "2020-09-30T03:24:11Z")
So, you will take a politician’s words in a campaign as the sign of what they will do rather than look at the last 40 years of what they actually and consistently did while in office? You are a politician’s wet dream. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/307 "2020-09-30T03:26:09Z")
The next two debates will be moderated by the C-Span political editor and NBC white house corresponding, neither of who I’ve heard of, and I suspect will not carry the gravitas of Chris Wallace. So I’m going to nominate for a change in moderator for the next debate: some random teenager operating a soundboard full of Macho Man Randy Savage sound bites. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/308 "2020-09-30T03:27:45Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#): > > It was a shitshow. Biden agreed to wrestle a pig. There you go. He came out remarkably clean considering. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/309 "2020-09-30T03:28:36Z")
I guess I saw a different debate. I thought that what Biden needed to do was not appear senile, stay calm and not let Trump get under his skin. He makes the worst gaffes when he loses his temper. I don’t think he should have tried to match Trump for craziness or zingers. At this point in time I think most people have made up their minds. You are not going to sway the hardcore Trump voters. What Biden needed to do was remind people that he is the calm, predictable choice that can get this country back to normal. I thought he did excellent at talking directly to the viewers. Trump came off as an immature bully who couldn’t stop rolling his eyes and practically throwing a temper tantrum while Biden came off as an adult. He looked sensible, informed and competent. I liked how he kept referring to his policies and not letting Trump conflate them with more progressive ones. I thought he won easily. Also, I don’t see what else a moderator could have done without the ability to mute the mics. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/310 "2020-09-30T03:28:36Z")
Yeah, I base all my political decisions on what people say about Biden’s bipartisanship. This discussion is sillier than most of what Trump was saying. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/311 "2020-09-30T03:29:58Z")
James Carville said it was unwatchable, and he was getting paid to watch. That Trump did himself a disservice by driving viewers away. No chance of a mute button in the future—it would need to be agreed to by both parties, and Trump would never agree. It’s his whole strategy. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/312 "2020-09-30T03:31:59Z")
Biden’s record is there for you to look at. It is a long one and his bipartisan stance has long been central to his character. There is nothing new here. You are just choosing to ignore it. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/313 "2020-09-30T03:32:37Z")
I agree with your assessment 100%. If Biden had anything hammered home to him by his coaches, it was to not lose his temper – and he has one. I think he did just fine. It was said that men and women will view this debate through very different lenses, and I think that’s true. Men may have wanted a WWE event, but women don’t. They understand bullies and they see through bullshit. Trump won no female votes with his performance. I suspect Biden did, though. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/314 "2020-09-30T03:34:44Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > Men may have wanted a WWE event, but women don’t. They understand bullies and they see through bullshit. Trump won no female votes with his performance. I suspect Biden did, though. This. Who does Trump need? Suburban women? This performance will drive them away in droves. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/315 "2020-09-30T03:35:06Z")
Mike Murphy has a great idea for the Biden team - publicly campaign for moderators to have a mute button for both candidates. Trump would never agree, but it’s a good line of attack for a couple of weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/316 "2020-09-30T03:36:17Z")
Suburban women are afraid that inner-city riots will find them in the suburbs. Trump played that card well tonight. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/317 "2020-09-30T03:38:49Z")
I fucking wish the riots would come to my town. I don’t feel like driving downtown and paying for parking just so I can show how mad I am about racism in America. My friends are totally out-anti-racism-ing me. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/318 "2020-09-30T03:39:09Z")
The Proud Boys thing is really standing out in what I’m seeing. The organization itself is apparently very pleased by the President’s message to them. I think that could stick around even more, because it’s so much more specific, than the “very fine people on both sides” thing. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/319 "2020-09-30T03:39:13Z")
Since you only believe articles, why not believe this one? > **[Women in Suburbia Don’t Seem Too Worried About Its Destruction (Published 2020)](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/18/upshot/voters-suburbs-2020-election.html)** > > President Trump has sought to fan fears about lower property values and crime, but polls suggest his general statements are not resonating locally. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2020, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854/320 "2020-09-30T03:41:12Z")
Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reece just tweeted: “In tonight’s presidential debate the President said “the Portland Sheriff” supports him. As the Multnomah County Sheriff I have never supported Donald Trump and will never support him.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2020-potus-debate-1-29-september-follow-along-and-discussion-thread/921854.md?page=17)