Upcoming presidential debate: questions I would like the moderator to ask

 This is an ever-changing and expanding list, but here are some questions for starters:

June 9, 2024, in Las Vegas, Donald Trump had to deal with a balky teleprompter, and we heard what he really thought as he went off script. It was all about himself, the heat, and other personal grievances...but the one line that stood out when speaking before the crowd: "I don't care about you; I just want your vote." Those loyalists who stood there in the sweltering heat will likely not be turned off by such a frank statement. Still, whenever we hear interviews of the MAGA loyalists, they at least give some reason, like inflation, gas prices, grocery prices, or unfair justice prosecution of Trump. Probably not expressed in "man on the streets interviews," I suspect, would be issued not vocalized to the public, but expressed other methods in flags flying and white nationalist fist salutes and social media postings. In any case, I look forward to comparing Trump's and Biden's responses in the upcoming debate to a question: What would you do about inflation, gas prices, and grocery prices. Moderators beware: Trump will use the opportunity to point fingers and blame, but he needs to be held to define what he would do about it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/interactive/2021/far-right-symbols-capitol-riot/

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/the-christian-nationalism-behind-the-appeal-to-heaven-flag.html

https://www.npr.org/2024/06/03/nx-s1-4987590/upside-down-american-flag-protest-symbol-history

https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2024/05/trumps-love-of-nazi-rhetoric-is.html

       https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2024/05/warning-to-consumers-buyer-beware-if.html

Trump's debate advantage over Biden? He inspires followers, but not for the good

 OK. Trump is inspiring. Biden is a boring business-as-usual, wise, wiley technocrat.  The question is, what does Trump inspire his followers to think and do? 

This poll explains much, and gives a glimmer of hope to Democrats. "In contrast, a full 50% of Americans (and 53% of registered voters) agree with Biden that “Donald Trump's campaign is about him, not America. He's willing to sacrifice our democracy to put himself in power.” Few, if any, of them are likely to vote for Trump in November." https://www.yahoo.com/news/new-yahoo-newsyougov-poll-shows-why-biden-trump-rematch-is-still-neck-and-neck-193252126.html

 Biden has just challenged Trump to a debate on the issues that "matter to people."  He feels confident the debates will help him publicize a favorable contrast to Donald Trump's policies. However, Biden still has a hill to climb on issues. Data may be one thing, but public perception is another. He is underwater for most issues or tied as the YouGov poll recently indicated. (above) It is linked to partisan identification and loyalty. He still has an advantage on the issue of choice/abortion and  is firmly ahead on Biden's position of democracy.  Both of those advantages appear to be unshakeable.

Trump's appeal has little to do with public policy issues. There are many theories, but looking at the heavily white male-dominating, non-college graduate demographics of those supporting him appears to have much to do with stoking the anger of those who fear they might become losers in a country with racial demographic changes and the rise of power of women at the ballot  https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/04/09/changing-partisan-coalitions-in-a-politically-divided-nation/     One of the puzzles of this research is the support Trump has from those identifying themselves as Christian Evangelicals, mostly white. Trump is easily the winner of the indecent behavior award, yet he is seen as The Second Coming.  Is it all because of the abortion issue? If so, the former GOP of the Moral Majority now overlooks Trump's character flaws and has recreated itself as the amoral minority.

 Biden has challenged Trump to "make his day " in the debate format he proposes. Trump accepted the debate dates, the first June 27 and the second September 10, on CNN/ ABC, but not yet to the Biden format:  no audience,  media anchors/existing staff moderating. In the past, Trump has found ways to squirrel out of such debates. 

It will be up to the ABC/CNN anchor moderators to make sure a debate does not devolve into two warships passing in the dark, taking cannon potshots at each other as they pass by. Biden will discuss data and issues, and Trump has another agenda.  Trump's appeal inspires the dark side of humanity. It stokes their sense of victimhood, only fixed by him by changing America to a dictatorship and ending democracy. He will get revenge on his followers' behalf and their grievances, which Trump himself has identified and dramatized.  He is all-powerful in his mind, and anyone who stands in his way should fear his wrath, retribution, and revenge, including political violence. He blames the system of democracy that stands in his way of doing stuff because it isn't fair.  To whom? Trump? Certainly not to all people in this 50-50 country. In fact, per a just-released poll by YouGov, "Americans now approve of the indictment and trial by double digits". How Biden would make his case in an issue debate is one thing. It will take some delicate phrasing if these character matters arise.  His lies are his truth: the election was stolen, and the January 6 rioters are patriots. Turmp's idea of fairness is what he defines it himself. All elections that do not show he wins are corrupt.  It is not as courts, juries, and other independent arbiters decide what is corrupt.  His answer to all the criminal indictments and trials he faces is that the justice system is corrupt.  Prosecutors are corrupt. Courts who rule against him are all and in every instance (except for the one judge he appointed, "corrupt," though what he defines as corrupt means "against him.". Bribery and the usual meaning of corrupt government officials are either unproven or not what means. So, it follows scrap that: replace the "establishment" with his one-man rule with "yes men" cheering him on.  The deep state is conspiring against doing what he wants, so he replaces civil servants and the justice system with those who are loyal to him. (Fair for him, but not to anyone else who would like some neutral arbiters to check in, like juries of his peers). So who does he see as his peers he prefers, and on behalf he would decide and govern?.  Taking clues from dog whistles and calling neo-Nazis are some fine people, and even dominating sexually over women and their ability to control their lives, white males. preferable Evangelical Christians.  

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/15/trump-allies-call-trial-sham-public-opinion-isnt-cooperating/

A puzzle that probably answers itself:  The GOP was once the party of the Moral Majority, but the white Christian Evangelicals have looked the other way, excusing their favored candidate of winning the award for his indecent behavior. They even see Trump as their Second Coming. My guess? The issue of abortion. On that one issue alone, the Moral Majority has become the  A-Moral Minority. https://www.kff.org/womens-health-policy/poll-finding/kff-health-tracking-poll-march-2024-abortion-in-the-2024-election-and-beyond/

An essay on Trump's contribution to American culture: indecency   https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2024/04/trumps-greatest-contribution-to.html

From the Muftic Forum Facebook posting 5/16/24

The Clone Show

From the Muftic Forum Blog this AM: Biden has just challenged Trump to a debate on the issues that "matter to people." He feels confident the debates will help him publicize a favorable contrast to Donald Trump's policies.

Trump's appeal has little to do with public policy issues. This picture of Trump contenders for VP says it all. There are many theories, but looking at the heavily white male-dominating, non-college graduate demographics of those supporting him appears to have much to do with stoking the anger of those who fear they might become losers in a country with racial demographic changes and the rise of power of women at the ballot https://www.pewresearch.org/.../changing-partisan.../

NYPOST.COM

Why Trump loyalists, VP contenders are flocking to ‘hush money’ trial: ‘It’s about paying homage’

Donald Trump’s Manhattan “hush money” trial has been the place for prominent Republicans to see and be seen in recent days — with some hoping the 45th president will remembe…

Like

Comment

Send

https://mufticforumblog.blogspot.com/2024/05/more-messaging-theme-to-consider-biden.html.So here is Biden's possible debate presentation on issues. I suggested this in this prior post. His main goal is to contrast Trump's ineptitude on public policy issues.  Trump's rejoinder could well be "make me a dictator and I will get it done." Biden has to pin him down on getting WHAT done.   From the prior post:

Trump promised Foxx Conn. He failed. Biden brought you Microsoft: Biden delivered

Trump promised you a dictatorship, and he has a plan to deliver it in place of democracy. Biden promised you a continuation of democracy, and he has delivered and will deliver.

Trump promises violence if he loses in 2024. Biden promises peaceful transitions. Trump delivered violence on January 6. Biden has delivered bipartisan legislation helping people's safety and lives.

Trump denies climate change and touts drill baby drill. Biden directed resources to renewables and job-creating industries but also made the US energy independent and an exporter of gas as bridges to greater use of renewables. Biden has delivered.

Trump promised you the Wall to end the "border crisis"; he failed. Biden brought you a bipartisan, very conservative solution;  Biden delivered, but Trump sabotaged it

Trump promised Mexico would pay for the wall. Biden created legislation to address the border problem, providing personnel to enforce immigration laws and paying for more of the wall. Trump sabotaged it.

Trump promised you "made in America," but he failed to get more jobs. He failed even before COVID-19. Biden: I delivered after COVID-19 x number of jobs, even above pre-COVID levels.

Trump promised you infrastructure funding and brought you nothing but Infrastructure Day. Biden delivered.

Trump promised to make America's economy great again. Biden delivered.  Even before COVID-19, Trump rode the coattails of what those before had done. After COVID's worldwide blow, Biden's economy is the world's envy, with the lowest inflation rate and the highest growth.  Biden delivered much and knows there is more to do.

 Trump claims he, only he, can lower inflation by destroying the brakes on it. Biden brought inflation down from 10 to under 4% and knows how to keep working on it himself by cracking down on monopolies. Trump promises to raise tariffs across the board by 10%, which will be passed on to consumers, raising inflation, not lowering it. In the meantime, Trump promises to destroy the only tool that can put the brakes on inflation: the Federal Reserve. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1317878/inflation-rate-interest-rate-by-country/  If it ain't very broke, don't very break it.

If Trump claims he can reduce grocery prices, he is a con man. Trump cannot set grocery prices and interest rates. Neither can Biden. Trump cons you into saying he can fix it, but he does not tell you how.  Free market systems are at their slow work as grocery prices and retail sales show good trends.  

For years, Trump promised a better replacement for Obamacare. All Trump delivered were promises. In fact, he has never even provided a plan. Biden has even lowered Medicare medication costs to government by forcing competitive bidding.

 Biden lowered health care costs for millions on prescription drugs and diabetes meds. Obamacare has only gotten more popular doubling beneficiaries and participants. Biden delivered; Trump did nothing but back big Pharma.  

Trump opposes lowering student debt. They signed the papers, and they owe it, accumulated interest and all. Biden promised and is delivering relief to millions. 

 Trump promised you a dictatorship, and he has a plan to deliver. Biden promised you a continuation of democracy, and he has delivered and will deliver.

Trump promises you violence if he loses in 2024. Biden promises you peaceful transitions. Trump delivered his promise on January 6 and promised violence if he lost in November 2024. 

Trump ridicules and criticizes national security, the military, the CIA, and more, and praises and supports Russian national security goals and aggressions.  Biden delivers on national security and acknowledges and works to defend us from obvious adversaries who want to do us harm.

Trump tries to get himself immune from criminal acts. Biden abides by the rule of law and delivers daily.

Trump promises states' rights to control women's health; Biden supports and will support making Roe v Wade-type legislation for all in America.  Biden is committed to delivering it. Trump delivers a record of infidelity, sexual abuse, and rape and boasts about setting in motion the end of Roe v Wade.  

Trump only wants those around him to say yes to whatever he wants and plans. Biden treasures aides who tell him both the good and bad news. Biden delivers reality and pragmatism with decisions that are based on reality and pragmatism. (Obama had a team of rivals because he wanted a good debate before he made a judgment call.) Neither Obama nor Biden schemed to see how they could break the law to stay in power after losing the election

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/trump-tells-billionaires-ll-keep-taxes-low-50-million-fundraising-gala-rcna146748

https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/watch/trump-promises-to-undo-biden-s-environmental-agenda-if-oil-company-ceo-s-raise-1-billion-for-his-campaign-the-washington-post-reports-210627141698

Immediate impressions post debate Oct 16

We will be waiting for a couple of days to get some solid poll data on the debate impact on the race  last night, but I was watching CNN to see if their poll taken immediately after the debate  showed anything.  46% thought the President won; 39%, Romney….a very different outcome than the first debate.

What the most likely outcome of this debate is that Obama was able to rally his base and make them happy he punched back.  Whether that is enough was the question asked by my late 40 something son. We will not know to what extent he was able to hold his troops together for a couple of days and stop the slide his poor performance caused in the first debate.

The most post-debate feedback I got was a call from my late 40’s something daughter, the teacher.  She and her colleagues were tweeting during  the entire debate and they all had the same reaction:  they were angry at Romney’s response on the question of birth control coverage as part of their employer provided health insurance, his sidestepping equal pay for women legislation, a perceived slam at single moms, and his irritating attempt at being understanding at what women go through.

 Particularly getting their dander up was the segment about gun violence where Romney appeared to launch into the praise of a family being comprised as one man and one woman as a way to curb youth violence. My daughter’s response (she is happily married, but some of her colleagues are single) “he just ticked off every   single parent listening”.  Also cited was the equal pay discussion, with Obama touting his support of equal pay for women…the Lilly Ledbetter Act…and Romney’s trying to show empathy.  What Romney said is he understood flex time.  Why, he even let his secretary have flexible hours so she could go home and cook dinner.  (I guess a woman’s work in the home is never done).  The GOP is on record for opposing equal pay laws.

 Did Roe v Wade even get a mention?  If so, it did not make much of an impression. That Romney is pledged to overturn it was never spotlighted by Obama.  Perhaps the birth control pills and ending Planned Parenthood (2 mentions of that) tested better in pre debate focus group.  Reproductive rights that include legal abortions as well as the pill are the main issue so far as women, suburban and single, are concerned. It was interesting that Obama used the question about what he would do to help working women as the opportunity to bring up the women’s health issue.  It is birth control that has made it possible for women to work and to develop their careers so it was appropriate.

The President was able to bring his position on immigration into the debate and I thought he did cite strongly what he had done and fired back at Romney for embracing the “show me your papers” law in Arizona. Romney tried to squirrel out of it, saying he only praised the e-verify part, but   Romney did little but repeats his anti-amnesty position(amnesty is a word that s poison to the Hispanic community) and self-deportation as a way to solve the problem with the undocumented already in the country.  He tried to chide the President for not passing a comprehensive immigration bill.  Hispanics are not naive. They, to the tune of 70% plus,  are supporting the President and know which party is friendly to Hispanic interests and who would support a path to citizenship as part of the law.  It is not the GOP or Romney.  Obama most likely helped himself with that base, as well, increasing probable Latino turnout at the polls.

CNN post-debate polls of only viewers of the debate still gave the points on handling the economy to Romney.  The President was able to call Romney out on the lack of details in a very direct confrontation, asking if Romney were asked to invest $8 trillion in a deal with no details of how it would be paid back, would that be  a good deal?  What Obama did not do was to explain how Romney’s plan did not add up to $5 trillion offsets to make it revenue neutral.  Obama did say what Romney wanted to do was to heap on another $2 trillion in defense spending and $1trillion in keeping Bush tax cuts, though the media post-debate did not pick up on the total of what Romney was proposing.  However, the CNN fact checker post-debate did conclude that neither Obama nor Romney would reduce the deficit with their plans. The Obama team and surrogates must do much more to shoot holes in the Romney plan and point out that Romney must offset with deductions and loophole closing  a total of $8 trillion, not just $5 trillion. 
 Obama began doing that in this debate.

Obama opened with his plan for the economy as an answer at the beginning of the debate. I could not repeat it by the end of the debate.. He needs to do better to make it memorable.  He still has work to do to lay out his plans for the future and Romney was able to get his 5 points in.  For once, Obama was able to enumerate his successes and the promises he kept.  He did that forcefully and he needs to do it again and again and again.

 However,  what Obama  did not do is to cite the improvements and show the trend in the economy that is upward..  Trend is the operative word, here.  He could have mentioned the market roared back and the housing market has worked it way through the foreclosure crisis, lending is up, and of course the unemployment percentage is the same as it was in January 2009.  He did talk about the creation of 5.3 million private sector jobs, and the increase in manufacturing,especially the Detroit auto revival,   but the job loss left by the Bush crash was 8.3 million.  We are on our way to solving the problem and it is getting better. He then could shift to the Romney job creation fantasy plan...Romney used to talk about trickle down and now he does not, but his tax cut without an adequate pay for would only drive up the debt or require the middle class to sacrifice.

What he did not do was to respond, though  and I saw his head shake negatively when Romney  repeated the GOP talking points that Obama did not live up to his promises.  What Obama  could have said is that those promises were made before he was sworn in and the depth of the recession was not known. The projections were made by economists and Obama, the president elect, did make an error in making promises based on them.  As we know now, there is about a three month lag time between the first reports and the final analysis.  It is at least an excuse that could put a dent in the GOP's main talking point argument that Obama failed by his own measure.  It would also have been an opportunity to remind us how bad the Bush policies were and that we should not repeat them.

Two highlights that benefited Obama:   Romney fumbled the Libya issue claiming Obama erred in not calling the attack on the consulate a terrorist attack when the moderator and Obama proved otherwise. (He must have been listening to the echo chamber of the right wing talkers). Also, he called Romney out on making it a political issue and was indignant about it.  The other was Romney mentioning  his portfolio and and Obama fired back that he had not followed his because it was smaller than Romney's.  Class warfare revived.