In the days following the first debates which do you think is more likely to be what gets the most play, a flub or a winning moment?
People don’t tune into NASCAR to see cars driving around a tiny circle.
They tune in to see crashes.
Does this answer your question?
Bentsen’s “I knew Jack Kennedy” quote was just a brutal one-punch take-down. I don’t care if Quayle actually won the rest of the debate, the debate was over from that moment on and everyone knew it.
Neither won. Bentsen lost and Perry dropped out.
Digs like the one Bentsen made are a dime a dozen on the internet. Wiki says it was prepared and rehearsed, so that makes it even less clever. The same might go viral today, but it would probably still be the losing position.
Oh but the fact that he knew Quayle was going to compare himself to Jack Kennedy, and then dropped that one on him…it’s a classic.
Bentsen “lost” because Bush was the Veep for a wildly popular president and the man leading the ticket, Dukakis, has the charisma of a corpse.
Wouldn’t surprise me if Biden’s “noun, verb and 9/11” gets turned back on him 11 years later. “Noun, verb and Barack Obama”
Reagan’s team got hold of President Carter’s briefing book ahead of their debate. Who knows if “There you go again” was a spontaneous rebuttal or something they had prepared knowing Carter’s talking points in advance.
No question that Bentsen “won” the debate … winning the election is a different beast of course. (And that Perry flamed out at that moment.)
Being able to predict what will be said by the other side and having a killer response at the ready is called debate prep.
I’m guessing that none up on stage have expectations set so high or are so dumb as to have a major flub moment in this sort of a venue, but that there will be no killer lines either.
I’m not sure how much will be attacking Biden and how much trying to get their own brand messages more out there. Biden will focus on repeating his branding: best to beat Trump; experience; and willing to work with the other side. A Biden attack might go viral but won’t get much positive impact to the attacker I don’t think. The second tier candidates won’t it themselves (Warren, Harris, Sanders, and maybe consider Buttigieg there). Booker and others of that level might.
I don’t think there will be any major flubs - all the candidates will repeat their standard talking points. And all the media will cover is “horse race” stuff - who did better than expected, did Biden shore up his support among key demographics, who will be the next to drop out, etc.
Regards,
Shodan
IMHO - if we are talking about the Dem debates - CNN will play up the high points, Fox will play up the flubs and the other networks will fall somewhere in between.
My guess is one of the lesser known candidates will try to make a big splash, only to have a “What is Aleppo” moment.
I think you can count on Biden for a good flub here and there, its like his thing.
Really? Has he been playing that card enough that that line would be effective? If so, I’ve missed it.
Lord knows I’m critical of Biden, but he’s a hell of a lot more substantive than Rudy 9/11 ever was.
I’m thinking any attacks on Biden will either come from Bernie or the 1%ers.
I don’t see any of the more substantive candidates tonight attacking Biden, there’s nothing really to be gained from going after someone that’s not there. If anyone tonight does, it’ll be a loose cannon like Tulsi Gabbard or Bill DeBlasio.
Tomorrow, I see Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg trying to establish themselves in a positive way in order to move up in the polls. Bernie’s dropping, and he might take a verbal swing at Biden as his dropping in the polls has clearly gotten to him. But he’s more likely to criticize Warren, who he feels is stealing his followers and his ideas.
They’ve got six 1%ers tomorrow night: Gillibrand, Bennet, Hickenlooper, Swalwell, Williamson, and Yang. Williamson’s probably amazed to be there at all, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see one or more of the other five attack Biden. Anything to break out of obscurity.
I’ve heard more than one report from the campaign trail that people wish the 1%ers would shut up and go home. We can only hope that a failure to break through this week, combined with higher bars for getting into subsequent debates, convinces much of this crowd to think it over during the weekend, then call it quits on Monday.
Yes, I’m quoting myself!
Fox News debate story today: ‘Fox & Friends’ takes on Castro challenging Beto at Dem debate: ‘Straight-up advocating for no borders’
CNN debate story today: Opinion: Which Democratic candidate came out on top?
BBC: no story about debate in top 10 headlines
Sometimes the best way to pounce on a candidate stuff up is not to do or say anything at all.
President Ford when he remarked there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe for example. Carter just had to stand there and watch as the moderator confusingly asked the President if he really said that. Then the fallout was lots of criticism from the press and Ford ended up having to invite community leaders who originate from those countries to the White House to meet him and discuss the issue, what he really meant and how he’d confront it if elected for 4 more years.
All the while Carter could put his feet up.
Well, one out of two. 
Wednesday night, sure enough, Biden’s name never came up. But last night - well, here’s HuffPost’s lede:
So yeah, my first prediction was a FAIL. But damn, what a great lede! 
Anyway, the consensus seems to be that Kamala Harris had a winning moment.
WaPo: Harris upstages Biden and Sanders with dominating performance
NYT:
She’s gonna be rising in the polls, the only question is, a little or a lot? I expect this should get her out of single digits, at least.
“My time is up.”
I’m afraid you’re right, Joe.
Thanks for self-moderating and the lack-luster finger raising when asked for show of hands.