Debate opinions?

You're probably right. Some of us have rose colored glasses on when it comes to Biden, because some of us would like to think things can get better. Trump has, literally, stated he will continue to remove rights from us - especially women. It's not enough that over 60,000 rape victims had to carry their rapists babies since they overturned Roe. It's not enough women's maternal death rates and infant mortality have increased in states that flat out banned abortion. Just some lives, right? How about when they remove the right for IVF? How about when they remove the right for birth control? You think it will stop there? They want cis, white, "Christian" men in charge of everything and the people who disagree can be dealt with.

That's not even touching on the LGBTQIA+ community, public education, or climate change disasters that will occur. Go read Project 2025 and tell me that THAT is a sane option for the United fucking States of America.

"We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." Benjamin Franklin

Same. Back in 2000, I voted for Mel Carnahan for Missouri US Senator over John Ashcroft after Carnahan died in a plane crash. Missouri chose someone who died over the republican because of his policies. I wonder where those folks who had common sense went because my home state has completely went to the dark side. 

Newsom was one of the reasons we left CA. The list of poor decisions is so long. Please don't let him out of CA - he has done enough damage there. 

If Biden steps aside, it will leave the Democratic Party in chaos and we will never defeat Trump. I wish the media would stop talking about it, it’s not going to happen. If Biden were 5 or maybe 10 years younger, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. He’s had a successful term and accomplished a lot, especially the infrastructure bills. Of course he looks older, have you seen before & after pictures of recent presidents? Regrettably, I think Biden had a bad night. But, he sounds much better at recent rallies or fundraisers.

HCR makes some really great points
- The media is not covering Trump’s countless stream of lies
- Trump’s stream of lies are a debate tactic, especially effective against someone with a stutter
- Biden has effectively been leading for the last 3 1/2 years
- Unfortunately, the media is reporting Trump’s narrative and letting him call the shots


heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/june-27-2024

In contrast, Trump came out strong but faded and became less coherent over time. His entire performance was either lies or rambling non-sequiturs. He lied so incessantly throughout the evening that it took CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale almost three minutes, speaking quickly, to get through the list.

It went on and on, and that was the point. This was not a debate. It was Trump using a technique that actually has a formal name, the Gish gallop, although I suspect he comes by it naturally. It’s a rhetorical technique in which someone throws out a fast string of lies, non-sequiturs, and specious arguments, so many that it is impossible to fact-check or rebut them in the amount of time it took to say them. Trying to figure out how to respond makes the opponent look confused, because they don’t know where to start grappling with the flood that has just hit them.

It is a form of gaslighting, and it is especially effective on someone with a stutter, as Biden has.

At the end of the evening, pundits were calling not for Trump—a man liable for sexual assault and business fraud, convicted of 34 felonies, under three other indictments, who lied pathologically—to step down, but for Biden to step down…because he looked and sounded old. At 81, Biden is indeed old, but that does not distinguish him much from Trump, who is 78 and whose inability to answer a question should raise concerns about his mental acuity.

Of far more lasting importance than this one night is the clear evidence that stage performance has trumped substance in political coverage in our era. Nine years after Trump launched his first campaign, the media continues to let him call the shots.

And the train to nowhere is going great. The US needs more rail systems. We got a local train to connect to Metrolink and it is greatly used and awesome. We do monthly rides.

We are screwed! I'm not sure anyone else they would put in at this point could beat Trump. Biden looked very weak. I watched on MSNBC, and they reiterated how the past 3 or 4 incumbents looked really bad in their first debate but still won the election. Who knows.

But for those saying you won't vote, I think that's a vote for Trump.

And PLEASE vote down ballot. If we can force Republicans to lose the house and we can win a better majority in the Senate, we may be able to protect the country! Otherwise, we are really screwed

And what about next time he has to debate or is at an event speaking? Can't keep avoiding them forever.

My big thing is this: if those 2 are the only choices we have...we're fucked. Doesn't matter if you're Democrat or Republican.

We need some new, younger and innovative blood in BOTH parties. This is getting ridiculous.

They have started processing things online and utilizing kiosks for simple/regular transactions. Progress is not with out stumbling blocks but it is helping to alleviate the need to go in person.

One thing that infuriates me is that I feel no one is doing right by Biden as a person. They are just looking at what is best for the party. Let him live the rest of life with some dignity.

I recently heard someone discussing the fact we have 2 poor choices to choose from and he said what you need to remember is to 'vote for the policies, not the politicians.' That makes so much sense! And while I wish Biden had a stronger showing last night, I will forever vote for 'whoever is not Trump'.

The train to nowhere has partly finished pieces down the Central Valley.  Those are just huge concrete monstrosities that will never be finished.

100% agree.

Excellent point. Regrettably, elections have become more of a personality contest or a reality show instead of focusing on who is more capable and what they will actually do if elected. Biden’s record stands for itself.