CT Blue

I didn’t watch last night’s debate, but then, if you read the title of this piece, you already knew that.

I didn’t actually watch the Kennedy-Nixon debates, being only 10 at the time, but I did become aware, even then, that the “winner” was not the person who made the better argument, but the one who came across better. Poor Nixon (I never thought I’d use that phrase) lost the TV debate, in large part, because he refused to wear makeup and looked like he hadn’t shaven in several weeks. Radio listeners thought he won, since they couldn’t see his face. So we may have missing makeup to thank for delaying his presidency by eight years.

As the years went by, and debates piled up, the “winner” was inevitably the guy ordained by the press, not because he (or she) had the better of the argument on substance, but because he (no shes relevant here) made a snappy remark, like Reagan saying “There he goes again”, when Carter accused him of wanting to destroy Medicare, which no one bothered to point out was perfectly true. No, Reagan won because…well, because the press wanted him to win.

So what really matters is not what happens during the debate, but after. I had no desire to rant and rave at my computer screen while Trump lied unchecked. Better to wait until the morning after and just read the reviews. Less strain on the blood pressure.

The internet has facilitated some very awful things, but it has accomplished some good, one such good being the fact that the press is no longer the sole arbiter that decides who won or lost. On-line reaction is probably more important than punditry these days.

So, anyway, all the really matters is the post debate fallout, and you can assess that without even having to watch the highlights (lowlights?) of the debate.

My overall impression is that Trump lost the debate. Biden “won” by default, inasmuch as Trump acted as if he wanted to lose. People sometimes have trouble assessing policy positions, but they can usually spot an asshole without much effort, and Trump apparently acted like a total asshole, making it almost impossible for the press to both-sides it, and also, quite likely, making the attempts at both-siding it ineffectual. If there are any undecideds, and who are such people anyway, it’s quite likely Trump turned them off.

The next two debates will be more of the same, so once again, I’ll take a pass and wait for the post-game wrap-ups.

All that being said, I might watch Kamala destroy Pence.