US Politics, May 2024: They Shoot Puppies, Don't They?

I hesitate to post more on NYT/Siena poll, but regionals are bizarre:

Trump up 8 in Dem bastion of Clark where Biden beat him by 9 in 2020. 17-pt swing!

In Washoe, where Biden won by 4, Trump is up 14! 18 pts!

There's somethin' happenin' here...

The only poll that counts... https://t.co/om6POrAZqw

— Jon Ralston (@RalstonReports) May 13, 2024

Biden declines to participate in regularly scheduled Sept./Oct. debates. He wants:

-Two debates, in late June and early September
-Against Trump only (no third-party candidates)
-Hosted by any of the four news organizations (CBS, ABC, CNN, Telemundo) that held both Republican primary debates in 2016 and Democratic primary debates in 2020
-Without a live audience, and with microphones that turn off at the end of the candidate's alloted time

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/15/us/politics/biden-trump-debates.html

pretty wild to see the Times (esp a Maggie article) go after Trump like this

In the first debate in 2020, Mr. Trump barely allowed Mr. Biden to get a word in. He was aggressive and constantly interrupting, while sweating and appearing unwell. Mr. Biden, exasperated, famously said to Mr. Trump, “Will you shut up, man? This is so unpresidential.” And in the days following that first debate, Mr. Trump’s poll numbers fell.

Good conditions, there (which of course won’t be reasonable to the other side)

be cool if biden just called him Traitor Trump through the whole thing. but he wouldn't be that cool.

Trump announced that he was Covid positive three days after that debate.

Looks like Biden and Trump have both agreed to a June 27 debate on CNN. The network's press release says that no audience will be present, but doesn't mention any of the other terms proposed.
https://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2024/05/15/cnn-to-host-2024-election-presidential-debate-between-president-joe-biden-and-former-president-donald-j-trump-on-june-27/

I'm surprised Trump, even though he's on record wanting debates, accepted so readily.

i'm surprised biden would want to debate a traitor and a criminal.

biden should say that he will only debate nikki haley.

Biden needs to treat him as such in a debate rather than trying to take the high road and attempt an honest discussion of different political platforms, just get up there and hammer him.

The "Will you shut up, man?" moment, which looked improvised, is the most effective thing he's ever said in public.

Trump for a split second looked startled; you can tell no one had ever told him to shut up, ever.

feel like he'll crack 400 electoral votes if he does the Dr Evil 'shush'

Trump will be gung-ho about this debate until June 26, when he will bail. Like every time he's pledged to take the stand, or release some sort of "definitive" piece of evidence.

xxp yeah, it was one of the greatest moments in presidential debate history

Keep yappin', man

i'm surprised biden would want to debate a traitor and a criminal.

― scott seward, Wednesday, May 15, 2024 10:13 AM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

Biden can't afford to be high-minded when he's behind in the polls.

he's behind in the polls because the average American either doesn't have a sense of how much of a lunatic Trump is or they've just forgotten, also there will be no audience so Trump's shtick isn't going to work, outside of pure ego I don't know why Trump agreed to this

there will be no audience so Trump's shtick isn't going to work

Yeah, this is gonna be like one of those clips where they pull the laugh track off a sitcom and all of a sudden it's a kitchen sink play about a bunch of people who hate each other.

Maybe donny will stroke out on stage that would amuse me

I mean, he's gonna come off like a complete slobbering maniac. Especially if/when the trial doesn't go his way.

I just think it's sad that without an audience we probably won't be getting any of those "me boys" stories.

no audience and mics off when it's not your turn to speak will be a struggle for Trump and pretty SOP for Biden

But he's still allowed to get all up in Biden's airspace like he did with Hillary, right?

no chance they allow him to wander around, also no chance he actually shows up on those terms

then Biden does the debate by himself and it's just a policy speech, no harm in that

xp he'll be chained to the lectern

"They're tying me down so they can get to you."

"as Governor Southwest has told us many times, we are free to move about the country. it's the law! and yet I'm not even free to walk 20 feet from my lectern. What are Dems afraid of? SAD."

Seriously though, how would they prevent him from glowering behind Biden when it's the latter's turn to speak? He'd still find a way to disrupt the proceedings.

Or he'll rap his knuckles over and over on the podium like Gosar who whoever it was that did that in the House.

hopefully GoZER shows up

Trump will agree to no audience, no mic when its not his turn, but he gets to have 5 members of Congress on stage with him shouting talking points throughout.

The thing about this is that everyone (including everyone here!) is gonna be fixated on Trump's mania, but what's really gonna come through on the night is Biden's absolutely withering contempt for Trump.

The reality is that this is not the Trump of 2016 or 2020. Biden knows this. He also knows that by the time the debate happens, his opponent (having not campaigned as much as tradition because of the People’s Court) will be raring at the bit to be before a big (if not visible audience), showing the world live on television how much of a daft, drifting loon he’s become.

Which isn’t to say that Biden won’t stumble or stutter, but you know what I mean.

how would they prevent him from glowering behind Biden

Didn't they use a plexiglass barrier during Covid? Pull that shit out of storage

Trump's conviction and imprisonment means he won't be able to attend either scheduled debate. Here's why that's bad for Joe Biden.

so long as Biden can still pull off that smiling and lighthearted yet condescending vibe like he's humoring a small child, he'll be fine

All Biden has to do is be the Bugs Bunny of the debates

In the video announcing that he'd agree to debate, Biden said that Trump should pick a date — "I hear you're free on Wednesdays." That's the tone he needs to maintain through the whole debate. Just call him a loser and a criminal to his face for two solid hours.

"My predeshesher"

lol omar

"Here's the thing, folks, my opponent doesn't know shit about shit and all he does is lose money and rip people off."

i mean, just the truth is all you really need.

Scott, if he said that on live television he’d automatically pick up at least a half million swing state votes.

https://i.imgur.com/5VL6tFU.png

he's already backing out

is he thanking himself

so if Crooked Joe doesn't accept this date, will Trump debate himself?

"my conditions include a roaring crowd in MAGA hats right behind me, a bare green light bulb under Crooked Joe's chin, and a hot mic to mutter in while he talks..."