Gocha. I dont believe it will come to that. And hope Im not proven wrong in 5, 6, 7, 8? weeks.

It's been reported that Trump's team refused to allow the moderator to cut the mic as part of the debate conditions. I think it would serve Biden well to make a public issue of this and refuse to debate unless the moderator is given that ability. Trump won't do it because it's at the core of his tactic and strategy, and Joe can retire from the debates without taking any damage, and leave Trump's unhinged performance and "stand back, stand by" exhortation to white supremacists echo all the way through election day.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

Equity markets started selling off at the end of the debate when Trump suggested he wouldn’t accept the results.

Are you positive about that?

https://www.nbcnews.com/...te-call-out-n1241512

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

General reply.

That was horrible and embarrassing on both sides. Undecided before and have zero desire to vote for either of these train wrecks after watching. Biden's only decent points came during climate discussions were obviously well rehearsed statements. Neither of them were able to capitalize and actually present any semblance of a platform. Might as well have been a pudding wrestling contest. Had higher hopes that Wallace would have controlled responses better.

He told Proud boys to await his command.

This is why I called Trump voters a nasty word a couple of weeks ago.

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

Considering he went to the University of Pennsylvania.... ha! Spot on.

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

Seriously, how fucking hard is it to say "I condemn white supremacists"

Literally, that's all he had to say to answer the question.

Saw that. Predictions for tomorrow?

I'm going with start low and recover back for marginal gains.

Agree too. The guy doesn't care for anyone but himself. He could be watching tens of thousands of Americans die at the hands of other Americans and it wouldn't phase him one bit. He'd probably make a comment about how no other president had so many Americans willing to die for him.

Likewise, the so-called patriots that worship him would excuse it.

I can't think of a better ending than seeing him led away in handcuffs to spend the rest of his days in jail.

Those are called policy positions.

Part of the reason I hate the debates is that they have absolutely nothing to do with being president. This situation never comes up as president. The only thing it illuminates is some of the character of the candidates. But debates are a lot less useful for that than looking at how people have lived their lives. Though of course both candidates acted pretty much how they have lived their lives during tonight's debate.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

I used to think his critics went too far in reading into his reluctance to do so--I thought he was just too cowardly to risk losing a single supporter--but he's been rock solid consistent on this question. He pretends to not know any prominent white supremacists or supremacist organizations when pressed, then lies or sidesteps in his non-reply responses, and engages in whataboutism and false moral equivalency. Ask him twenty more times and you'll get the same kind of response.

Tonight he took it to a whole new level. He spoke directly to them and put them on stand by. He is their champion.

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The devil made me do it the first time, second time I done it on my own - W

Yeah, that's BS. Put them in separate rooms and make them answer individually if you have to. The shit show will continue. Normal people just want to see each answer questions uninterrupted.

Yes, agreed, well stated.

Um, yea. Its just my belief, regardless of what headlines or twitter say. I also acknowledged I could be wrong and hope Im not. Its simply a belief about what might happen in the future. Why the pushback?

They both lie. I was fact checking both during the debates. Do the same.

I think the next moderator should be the guy from ESPN's Around the Horn. He can freeze frame the speaker and clip his mic. Or have them in a sound proof plexiglass box and clip the mic and watch the guys wave and stomp but not hear a word.

Would a mute button have helped trump though? Would he have come across better if he was not constantly interrupting?

The early polls say Biden won big. CNN has it at 60-28 for Biden.
Most people didn’t watch. They’ll trust the headlines. The headlines will be, what?

Biden Won
Trump failed to denounce white supremacy
Trump was off his rocker

And there are no notable gaffs by Biden to further the narrative that he is senile.

By the time the dust settles, history records this as pivotal and terrible for Trump.

I'd like to see Biden use Trump's debate behavior political ads showing what kind of person he is. There probably aren't many undecided voters, but it could make a difference with some of them. Remind them weekly what kind of person Trump is.

Stand by awaiting my marching orders. - Trump to proud Boys.

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

They both played a part in the chaos. Trump can’t control himself. Everyone knows that. Biden should have been an adult and said something like.... Mr. President, please don’t interrupt and I will do the same. Let’s have a clean debate. Instead, he told him to shut up. He had an opportunity and he lost it.

Biden did act like an adult multiple times, for the first 30 minutes. trump had many chances to stop acting like a maniac.

Stop saying they both played a part.

If only we had a middle ground candidate who could condemn both the widespread hate on both the right and left and actually put forth a decent platform with a unifying message and the ability to be electable in our current system. The childness on both sides is so disruptive to the potential good, its like picking the best of the two worst kickball players in kindergarten except this is supposed to be the best of American politics. If the world isn't laughing at us they surely are not laughing with us.