Since the first televised debate between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in 1960, the US presidential debate is the most awaited event in every election to select the next US president. Last Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio, President Donald J. Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden faced off for their first debate in 2020. The debate took place amid the background of a ravaging pandemic, which has infected over 7.2 million Americans and caused a total of 210,000 deaths. It was watched by the majority of its population reeling from the severe economic downturn and crippled by monumental job losses. Across the US, its streets and cities are bursting with militant protesters and counter demonstrators, which highlight the growing racial divide.
The debate moderator, Chris Wallace of Fox News, shortlisted the topics to be covered by the debate—the records of both candidates, the pandemic, race and violence in the cities, economy and election integrity. They are the political issues currently hugging the headlines that are considered critical to the voters. The candidates’ positions on these ticklish issues are crucial in making the voters’ choice. Another controversial topic was added involving the tax returns issue of Trump, which was exposed by the New York Times just two days before the scheduled debate. Trump has fought hard against the release of his tax returns even when he was running against Hillary Clinton for the presidency in 2016 and the matter is now pending with the US Supreme Court. This is a fodder for the challenger, which Biden could exploit to the hilt. On the other hand, the nomination of Judge Amy Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg opens an opportunity for Trump to win the women’s vote, which is a decisive factor in this election, aside from solidifying his hold on the conservatives. More or less, this was the political landscape when the two contenders took the center stage to start the debate.
As the incumbent, Trump tried to highlight the alleged gains which his first four years in office has achieved particularly his handling of the pandemic and the economy. As the fact-checking after the debate showed, he even fabricated lies and made false accusations to embellish his standing before the voters. He threw everything—hook, line and sinker—to discredit his adversary. He dragged Biden’s sons, Hunter and Beau, into the fray. He belittled Beau, a legitimate war hero and a former Attorney General of Delaware who died early. He recycled the old baseless issue against Hunter for his alleged anomalous business dealings in Ukraine. As expected, Trump was the school’s bully. His strategy was to put the other side on the defensive and besmirch the picture of decency and fairness to which Biden is held up by the public. Trump’s hope to land a haywire that may irreparably damage his opponent and salvage his foundering reelection campaign miserably failed. Trump’s brawling tactics and penchant for brutal personal attacks were not enough to carry him to a winning performance. On the opposite side, Trump faced a battle-scarred candidate who had an intense debate experience following a hard-fought primary campaign within the Democratic Party while Trump was reported to have resisted holding mock debate sessions with his coaches, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Obviously, the plan of each candidate was to change the dynamic of the campaign in his favor and refocus voters’ attention to issues that are helpful to him. Another is to relate the significant issues, which would persuade voters of the battleground states like Michigan, Florida, Ohio, Wisconsin and North Carolina to cast their votes for him. This would spell victory or defeat for the candidates. But will a debate this late still have an impact on the forthcoming presidential election? Even before the debate has started, more than 1.2 million voters have already cast their ballots under the early voting process. How many voters are still undecided and are still persuadable? Or are they only watching the debate to see their bet trash his opponent.
No doubt, it was a chaotic debate, the worst verbal tussle that ever took place in the history of presidential debates in America. Trump has been interrupting Biden all the time and hurling insulting words to Biden. He raised malicious questions and presented false claims and charges to fortify his positions. His conduct during the entire debate was embarrassing and he behaved in a manner that is beneath his office. Trump belittled Biden’s intelligence—and told Biden on his face that nothing was smart about him. But look who’s talking? Trump definitely lacks the moral fiber and one can only wonder how he achieved the pinnacle of political power with his egregious behavior. On the other hand, probably out of disgust, Biden called Trump a clown and a liar. The exchanges were replete with gutter language, mostly coming from Trump, which was unfit for children to watch. No American who had watched what one commentator described as a “shit show” would be proud of his country’s president. At least, in this department our Filipino presidentiables as shown in the last 2016 presidential debates have shown more maturity and finesse. Not even the feisty late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago nor our cussing President Duterte had heaped abuse and inflicted insults on their fellow candidates during their debates. Incredible that the leader of the world’s acknowledged model for government and politics has stooped so low. As aptly summed up by one observer, neither Trump nor Biden won the debate, but one thing definite was that the Americans were the losers. They deserved a better debate, and, obviously, a better president.