# Trump and Harris agree to September 10th ABC debate - Watch Along Starts at Post 431 **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump, kamala-harris\ **Created:** [August 8, 2024, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440 "2024-08-08T20:59:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/161 "2024-08-26T18:20:14Z")
You know, instead of the debate, he might prefer to pay another visit to the National Association of Black Journalists instead? ;). Or maybe there are some Asian or womens’ groups holding meeting at which he might wish to have a sit down… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/162 "2024-08-26T18:29:49Z")
What’s the big deal with the muted mike controversy? I need some help understanding this. It seemed like a good idea when Biden demanded the muted microphone, because it’s the only way to shut Trump’s mouth. So why is Harris now demanding UNmuted mikes? What does she gain ? And why is the mute/unmute issue so important that it may be the reason for cancelling the entire debate? I don’t understand. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/163 "2024-08-26T18:31:59Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Exactly right. Trump gets way too much attention as it is. All Harris has to say is that she made a commitment to September 10, and she’ll be there. It would be cool if she never used the word “Trump” for the rest of the campaign. He’s doing a fine job of sinking his orange self all by himself. Nicely said. She should add, “I’ll be there, and if he’s not [bonus points if she says “and if he’s too chicken to attend”], then I get 90 minutes of free air time all to myself.” That should ensure that he’ll attend. Somebody other than him gets free air time? Getting the attention he should be getting? Say it ain’t so! ---
**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:** [August 26, 2024, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/164 "2024-08-26T18:33:58Z")
I assume she wants the mic unmuted to show Trump being crazy. MAGA will love it but the voters she needs will likely be turned off if Trump cannot control himself (and he probably can’t) which is to her benefit. But I think Harris is fine either way. Just a wish list of hers. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/165 "2024-08-26T18:36:16Z")
Really. She’s not backing out if they don’t permit hot mics. It’s a smart strategic ploy. Give Trump every opportunity to show what a POS he is. If they don’t allow hot mics, oh well, it was worth a try. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/166 "2024-08-26T19:05:06Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Nicely said. She should add… No! She shouldn’t add anything. I second the idea that she should never speak his name again. If she has to refer to him, call him “the former president.” > [@wolfpup](#): > > Trump gets way too much attention as it is. This X 1,000! > [@Jihi](#): > > > It allows me to control the narrative in the media. “Me,” meaning Trump in @Jihi’s hypothetical. Let Kamala **take back the narrative!** ---
**Author:** ![mjmartin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3d9bf3/32.png) [@mjmartin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjmartin)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/167 "2024-08-26T19:37:59Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I second the idea that she should never speak his name again. If she has to refer to him, call him “the former president.” It would be great if she said “the former president, now convicted felon” every time she refers to him. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/168 "2024-08-26T19:43:01Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > So why is Harris now demanding UNmuted mikes? > What does she gain ? > And why is the mute/unmute issue so important that it may be the reason for cancelling the entire debate? > I don’t understand. When I saw the headline “…clash over muted mics…” I was pleasantly surprised that Harris is taking the un-mute stance. It’s brilliant. The answers to the questions don’t really matter that much – the debate is all about presence and impressions. Open mics give Trump the opportunity to look like a complete asshole, like he did in 2020 vs Biden. It’s giving him plenty of rope with which to hang himself. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/169 "2024-08-26T22:52:39Z")
I would not be surprised if Trump finds an excuse to not go. If you mix MAGA red with coward yellow, it forms Trump orange. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/170 "2024-08-26T23:13:44Z")
I’m al for muting the mics but have closed captioning of what is being said into the muted mic. Plus a director’s cut with the muted audio added back in released after the debate. ---
**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:** [August 26, 2024, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/171 "2024-08-26T23:14:10Z")
This just popped up in my newsfeed: > **[Donald Trump isn't preparing for Kamala Harris debate](https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-not-preparing-kamala-harris-debate-election-1944437)** > > Donald Trump questioned whether he should even debate Kamala Harris on ABC, a network he says is biased against him. > Former President Donald Trump told reporters in Virginia on Monday that he is not preparing for his September 10 debate against Vice President Kamala Harris. > > Trump, appearing at the Eden Center, the largest Vietnamese commercial center on the East Coast, was asked by a reporter, “How are you specifically preparing to debate Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee?” > > The Republican nominee responded, “I’m not, really, I’m not. I’m not spending a lot of time on it. I think my whole life, I’ve been preparing for a debate…Basically, you have to be real. You can’t cram 30 years of knowledge in your head in one week. There’s a little debate prep, but I’ve always done it more or less the same way. You have to know your subject. And I think I know it better than anybody.” ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/172 "2024-08-26T23:16:22Z")
> [@Trump](#): > > You can’t cram 30 years of knowledge in your head in one week. I don’t think you could cram 30 seconds of knowledge into that head. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/173 "2024-08-26T23:20:28Z")
> ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/174 "2024-08-26T23:25:50Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > So why is Harris now demanding UNmuted mikes? > What does she gain ? > And why is the mute/unmute issue so important that it may be the reason for cancelling the entire debate? The reason Harris wants unmuted microphones is supposedly because of the hope that Trump will engage in bizarre mutterings/interruptions that will further show what a flaming, irrational jackass he is, which the world already knows. I don’t see this attempt at a rules revision as a good look for Harris. She should be emphasizing that she wants semi-civilized debate without interruptions from the circus peanut gallery. Let her score points by highlighting his lies and evasions, of which there will be plenty to choose from. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2024, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/175 "2024-08-27T00:49:53Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Because for it to work, his own followers have to see and acknowledge those mistakes. He doesn’t have enough followers to win an election. He needs at least some of the undecideds. Nothing will pry his followers loose and it is pointless to try. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2024, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/176 "2024-08-27T01:02:04Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > The reason Harris wants unmuted microphones is supposedly because of the hope that Trump will engage in bizarre mutterings/interruptions that will further show what a flaming, irrational jackass he is, which the world already knows. I think this is a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2024, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/177 "2024-08-27T02:08:35Z")
Me too. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2024, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/178 "2024-08-27T14:20:17Z")
My recollection was that Trump talking over, and interrupting, Joe Biden in the 2020 debate was a deliberate tactic to try to get Joe to stutter. I believe Trump had decided that Biden would stutter when he was flustered, so he was trying to get under his skin in order to bring that out. That’s obviously not applicable here, since Harris doesn’t struggle with a speech impediment. Trump may still talk over his allotted time, or try to interrupt, but I don’t think it will feature as strongly as it did. And I’m sure that Harris feels that this is only going to make Trump look bad. He’ll come across as rude and unhinged, and she must be confident that she can rebut any childish behavior as the “adult in the room.” I agree with those who favor the muted mics, but Harris undoubtedly has her reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2024, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/179 "2024-08-27T14:35:33Z")
I’m not sure Harris has the advantage that people think. Lawyers like Harris are trained to debate in front of a moderator who literally has the power to put someone in jail if they interrupt the proceedings or don’t follow the rules. Trump’s debate style acknowledges no rules and the ABC moderators have no power other than a mute button to enforce them. Modern political debate has devolved into spectacle and only benefits those who value entertainment above policy. ---
**Author:** ![CoolHandCox](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coolhandcox/32/16233_2.png) [@CoolHandCox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoolHandCox)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2024, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440/180 "2024-08-27T15:01:21Z")
Just debate. It’s Trump. She will act normal and Presidential, he won’t. Here is a good take on the mute/live mic: [Kamala’s Campaign Pushes Trump’s Impulse Control Problems](https://www.emptywheel.net/2024/08/27/kamalas-campaign-pushes-trumps-impulse-control-problems/) > I don’t think that even [the outlets that recognize the troll](https://edition.cnn.com/2024/08/27/politics/harris-trump-debate-rules-analysis/index.html) are giving the Kamala Harris campaign enough credit for the jujitsu they’re engaged in with the debate. > … > The jujitsu on the debate started with Trump whining, two nights ago, about ABC as an excuse to get out of the debate again. > … > Whatever happens with the scheduled debate now, [Harris advisor] Fallon has imposed a cost on Trump’s equivocations, making it more likely he’ll have the meltdown he and his handlers are trying to stave off. > > It is absolutely true that Kamala is trying to change the terms of the agreement, even as Trump gets cold feet about participating at all. But this arises, I think, out of the dynamic that has made it so hard for Trump to face Kamala in the first place. He can’t suppress his bigotry, but if he doesn’t, he’ll risk losing to a Black woman. A smart, beautiful Black woman. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-and-harris-agree-to-september-10th-abc-debate-watch-along-starts-at-post-431/1005440.md?page=10)