You may be wondering why this is coming now, after all the instant analyses from everyone and the fusillade of takes on what each candidate did. Sometimes looking at major events is best done through the eye of space and time.
First, let’s concede Mr. Biden represented himself well. Some commentators on the Left and Right said he was off, but he certainly appeared to be all there and prepared. Mr. Trump interrupted too frequently at times diffusing the benefit of doing it as a tactic. Then there are material aspects of what was done.
Though Trump’s interruptions were annoying they paled in comparison to Biden’s sin – his constant name-calling. Biden has stated he is running in part to restore some dignity to national politics. If that is his intent, then he shredded that concept last week. Repeatedly calling the President names and telling him to shut-up is not acceptable. His hardcore supporters think calling Trump any name under the sun is acceptable. As I tell them repeatedly – only children call the President of the United States names. Liar, Racist, Stupid and Clown will not sit well with the undecided voters in Minnesota. Biden was trying to show Trump how tough he was and he damaged himself in doing that. If Trump is perceived as a vulgarian then what is Biden?
There were two important moments that will reverberate against the Biden campaign. The first being his complete refusal to answer the question of whether he is willing to endorse ideas that will radically change how our government operates. It is his campaign’s strategy not to answer questions that they don’t want to as we have seen the similar responses from his vice-presidential candidate and Mrs. Biden. The attitude has to be that they have a compliant press and not answering will be condoned and then not reported. Mr. Biden clearly will not say whether he will pack the Supreme Court or agree to eliminating the filibuster in the Senate. There are other matters that have been discussed like forcing through statehood for D.C. and Puerto Rico. The Democrats would probably also endorse ballot harvesting, a disgustingly anti-American policy that has been adopted in Left-wing states. The fact that he would not answer an ordinary question from the moderator made him look dishonest.
Then there is the question from President Trump about law enforcement support. These groups typically knee-jerk endorse Democrats because they are unions. Biden was left silent as Trump silently waited for his answer. Biden was saved by Chris Wallace stepping in and breaking the moment. If you are a Democrat and have no cops supporting you that looks bad to Middle America. You might vote for Biden if you are a criminal or a member of Antifa, but not if you favor strong law enforcement. That concept carries across all races.
There were plenty of other answers Biden refused to answer or were lies which you will not hear from the Media. He lied about his support for the Green New Deal — it is on his website and is a strong element of the report from his Unity Task Force. There were other instances where he antagonized his Left-wing base. When he stated “I am the Democrat Party.” He turned on a flashing red light for the Left-wing that made them believe once elected he was going to toss them over the side. They will not vote for Trump, but they may stay home in droves.
These are the concepts that came from that debate. Yet if you saw what the Media said was the big moment from the debate you would not know the meaningful events of the debate. First, Biden was asked to denounce Antifa and lied that it is only “an idea.” They don’t organize. Well, it is correct if you think of organizing like being a Rotary meeting or stopping by the Moose Lodge. They don’t have weekly lunches or annual charity drives. As someone who wrote about Antifa three years ago, I have a working knowledge of them. Go on Wikipedia and look up Rose City Antifa which has existed since 2007. Not organized? Bullpucky.
Because Antifa (along with BLM) have been the promulgators of violence in multiple cities across the nation, Democrats who run those cities prefer to suggest these groups don’t exist. They may not be organized like others with chapter presidents, but people are contacted and know where to show up when they want to cause problems. These are dangerous groups.
Instead, Wallace turned to Trump and asked him to disavow a philosophy which he has denounced innumerable times for which he is on record of doing so clearly and distinctly. White Supremacy groups have caused none of the riots and looting going on in America. Yet mystifyingly this was a topic.
Somehow the MSM was talking about another group we have never heard of before. In June it was Qanon which most of us cannot even figure out what it is about. All of a sudden it was sweeping the world and every Republican had to disavow it. How can you disavow a group that you have no clue what it does or why it exists?
After the debate, the only topic for the MSM to distract from Biden’s foibles was Proud Boys. I read something like 100 news services across the political spectrum on a typical day. I never heard of them until debate night and now they were the supreme White Supremacy threat in the country. CNN says the leader of Proud Boys is Enrique Tarrio, a Hispanic. The Proud Boys have Black members, Asian members and Latino members. I have it on good authority the Los Angeles branch of the Proud Boys is roughly half Mexican-American. So much for being White Supremacists. They are akin to Guardian Angels, if they are anything. Yet the MSM yammers about it as something of importance. MSM can create hysteria over anything based on their own ignorance.
It is often a good idea to step back, collect facts and then create a perspective; not the one handed to you by the Trump-hating press. Actually, Trump should interrupt less next time to let Biden fall on his own sword.