Presidential Debate Expectations & Reflections

President Joe Biden’s biggest responsibility was to convince voters he has the capacity to serve another four years while Donald Trump needed to control his demeanor. Both needed to show Americans who is the better candidate and age is against both of them. Rumors abounded before the debate about how the candidates were preparing, especially Biden.

Biden’s gait has always been a concern but his facial appearance was startling. He looked like a cross between a deer in headlights and a wax figure. I thought it was a Botox overdose but cannot confirm, plus too much makeup. Efforts to minimize his age (81) seem to have backfired. Botox can take effect within a few days and “its active ingredient freezes facial muscles to keep you from contracting them,” confirms Healthline.com, which could explain the wild-eyed look and open mouth.

Trump’s appearance looked pretty much the same throughout recent years. While often seen with a scowling face, and not surprisingly, his mouth was very frowned this time. I imagined Trump having an electronic device attached underneath his suit that could deliver shocks from his advisors if he stepped out of line. However, he contained any sarcasm he may have felt toward many of his opponent’s blunders.

Most importantly, cognitive dysfunction has been a concern for Biden’s party and constituency. It’s not something you can hide very well. If he is indeed in early stages of dementia, he could be fine during one presentation, then falter the next. This could explain a difference in Biden’s performance the next day in South Carolina. However, he used a teleprompter at that rally, according to Politico.com. There’s a major difference in reading something compared to formulating a coherent thought and expressing it.

Troubling Signs and Decisions

On February 8 of this year, I was excited to watch an ABC documentary on the Titan submersible’s fatal dive to the Titanic. It was interrupted by Biden giving a speech in defense of a report by a special counsel looking into classified documents in his home. The report stated, “Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.” Furthermore, it would be difficult to convince a jury that he was guilty of a felony that “requires a mental state of willfulness,” according to the New York Times.

As Biden was defending his mental state during that speech, he confused the names of the presidents of Mexico and Egypt. I was unclear of what border he was talking about and he was confused about a rosary from his son, as well as what cemetery his son was buried in. He slurred words and didn’t finish sentences. This was surprising but I don’t normally watch Biden’s speeches because of his poor delivery. He often comes across as yelling at the audience. The Republicans had been warning about Biden’s mental state for a long time but I dismissed it as antagonism.

A troubling decision by the Democrats was to not offer any other candidates besides Biden for the 2024 election. They knew his age was already a concern, however, the Democrats are much more unified. (Until recently.) The Republicans offered a slew of candidates. Trump supporters had a close match with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis who shared many of his ideals. DeSantis is only 45-years-old with none of the legal baggage of Trump. And he’s polite. But the People spoke and Trump won the nomination.

The last time Trump won the nomination, much of the American population, as well as some Republicans, rejected him. This could actually be considered a threat to our democracy because the United States is a republic. The two main parties put forth candidates, plus there are a few third parties. They are narrowed down by VOTERS in the primary election. When people reject a candidate that the majority elected, the whole process of our system is undermined. Worse yet, when politicians reject a chosen candidate for their own party, they are no longer representing the choice of the majority of the People they represent.

A case in point was during the 2016 Republican primary. Senators Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio took a beating from Trump in the debates. Voters chose Trump. Both losing candidates later endorsed Trump for the sake of their party. Cruz released a statement to the Texas Tribune, “Last year, I promised to support the Republican nominee. And I intend to keep my word.” Rubio stated, “While I respect that voters chose him as the GOP nominee, I have consistently rejected his offensive rhetoric and behavior. I disagree with him on many things, but I disagree with his opponent [Hillary Clinton] on virtually everything. I wish we had better choices for President,” according to Politico.com.

The Aftermath

Anyway, inflation and immigration were the top two interests of Americans but were overshadowed by Biden’s performance.  Surprisingly, the media actually reported negatively about Biden’s performance sparking talk of a replacement. An indirect message the media won’t admit is that Trump did well in the debate. Everyone knows that everything said will be fact-checked and it’s not realistic to expect a politician to never lie, including by omission or embellishing their own record.

The recent interview with Biden and ABC News anchor, George Stephanopoulos, did not seem to quell the concerns of Democrats despite Biden’s better delivery and appearance. Both Biden and Trump have each had a term. One of the things we need to ask ourselves is if we (and the world) are in a better place now or four years ago?