"The CNN Presidential Debate will air live on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español, and via streaming on Max for subscribers and without a cable login on CNN.com. CNN will make the debate available to simulcast on additional broadcast and cable news networks.
You can also follow CNN’s live debate coverage on CNN.com, which will include analysis and fact checking."
"According to parameters set by CNN in May, all participating debaters had to appear on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidency and receive at least 15% in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters that meet CNN’s standards for reporting.
Polls that meet those standards are those sponsored by CNN, ABC News, CBS News, Fox News, Marquette University Law School, Monmouth University, NBC News, The New York Times/Siena College, NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist College, Quinnipiac University, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post."
Edit And that's it! Thanks for watching everyone!
tl;dw:
Consensus is Trump didn't so much as beat Biden as Biden beat himself.
The real loser is CNN who failed to fact check anyone, and there were obvious fact checks on both sides.
It's literally two old-as-fuck fucks arguing about their golf swings. This is literally how the debate is coming to a close. I just... I don't even know what to say.
Trump hasn't answered a single question in 20 mins.
"I just wanna go back to that."
They are allowing gish galloping like a motherfucker and Biden has to defend himself from a thousand lies AND answer the question asked while Trump spews bullshit unending.
I seriously doubt it but I really hope this is a wake-up call for Democrats. I remain convinced that Biden voluntarily stepping down and permitting a younger more charismatic figure in his place will be all that is needed to win, and I say this for a few reasons:
By the polling, age is a huge issue for a significant majority of Americans, with it clearly harming Biden more.
Any youthful semi-in-the-shadows candidate will be fresh for Americans, who will be excited for anything different.
The right-wing talking-points won't be pre-written.
By Biden & Democrats getting ahead of this and saying, "look we recognize the electorate's concerns and what's at stake and we know the people by large majorities don't want either President, so we're responding," they would get major points.
Call it a reverse-October surprise.
That being said, this is the earliest debate ever and Trump still needs to go through sentencing in July. People won't really remember this debate, but it certainly did not help Biden in any capacity.
I’m voting for Biden still bc Trump is a piece of shit, but Biden is coming off old and weak in this debate. Trump is lying his ass off about everything and not getting called out on any of it, and because he’s spouting so much of it so quickly rapid-fire, it’s obfuscating and confusing the issues.
This country is cooked with these two as the choices. Biden looked awful, and Trump didn't answer anything at all. Trump gets a pass on never having any substance to his replies. It is just jokes and insults.
Biden fucked up. But I don't think this really changes anything.
Nobody is voting for Biden because we like him. We are voting for him because we give a shit about human rights and democracy. And democrats generally are good at actually listening to what is being said because... we want things.
republicans hate biden and are just happy they heard that brown people are killing and raping everyone. Nothing changed there
What Biden needed to do was win over the dumbass moderate/"undecided" voters. Which... is not talking points or policy. It is strongman bullshit. And that... is going to almost be entirely up to The Internet. Do we focus on Biden stuttering and having aphasia that he has had for decades? Or do we focus on trump blatantly lying and still talking about asking Nancy Pelosi to lead an insurrection for him?
John Oliver and the rest of the late night hosts are going to be working overtime to remind the country that having a deranged fascist in charge is bad. The Hasans of the world are going to keep talking about "Genocide Joe" because they are useful idiots, at best. But... I don't know beyond that.'
That said, I do think about the questionably accurate story that nixon (ugh) won his debate against kennedy (lesser ugh) among radio versus television listeners.
Biden mostly won in terms of text. He lost in terms of audio. But... people live on twitter and social media. How many people are going to be watching clips versus reading excerpts and tweets?
Good god, I had to stop watching after the abortion question.
Trump actually has managed to keep his composure so far. Sure, he's spouting out lie upon lie that CNN is allowing to continue un-fact-checked. But he at least sounds like he knows what he's talking about, and is showing something resembling energy.
Biden looked like a nursing home patient that should've been guided out by his nurse. He sounds even worse. That freeze-up at the end with him stuttering and just blurting out a random "I beat Medicare" or whatever that was is going to fuel the entire Republican campaign for the next 5 months. That is literally the exact moment Biden lost this election, mark my words. The man is performing like he's sundowning.
If he gets better, God bless him. But I cannot see how anyone can have confidence in that man after that performance. He doesn't look like he'll make it another 4 months let alone another 4 years.
Trump keeps dodging questions by going back to the previous topic. It gives him as much time to talk as he wants. And then he doesn't have to spend as much time on the issues where he is weaker.
The problem is that the debate doesn’t really change much… except for low information and undecided voters. They don’t know what Trump is spewing and whether it’s a lie or not. When he makes up wild claims that Biden is unanimously declared worst president in history, they don’t know that’s a lie, or that Trump is lying about capping the price of insulin or the existence of 9 month elective abortions, etc. Trump’s confident lies actually win over a lot of undecided people who don’t do any research into the topic.
The elimination of the First Past the Post voting system would allow voters to support third-party candidates without the fear of causing a spoiler effect. This change would promote greater competition in elections, improving the caliber of candidates available to all voters. Also, it is likely to boost voter turnout and increase political engagement.
Electoral reform has already been achieved at the state level; Alaska and Maine have successfully implemented changes to their electoral systems, demonstrating that broader reform is feasible.
However, Republicans have taken steps to preserve the First Past the Post voting system. For instance, Florida recently outlawed Ranked Choice voting. Despite this setback, there are numerous alternatives to First Past the Post, ensuring that bans like Florida’s do not obstruct progress toward electoral reform.
This raises the question: why do predominantly Democratic states continue to utilize First Past the Post voting? Why continueto use a voting system favored by Republicans? In states controlled by Democrats, there are no Republican obstacles preventing these reforms.
It is evident that Democrats recognize the shortcomings of First Past the Post voting. Mentioning third-party voting on social media often prompts numerous Democrats to caution against “wasting” votes that could inadvertently benefit Republicans. It is perplexing to acknowledge flaws in the voting system yet fail to take action to address them. Lecturing others about the drawbacks of First Past the Post voting while neglecting to pursue solutions is contradictory and counterproductive.
Here are some videos on the topic if you’d like to know more:
I voted for Biden and I'll vote for him again to keep a fascist out of office, but it is quite clear that the best thing Democrats could do is to have Biden back out and put forth a younger charismatic candidate. Age and the excitement about someone fresh would be enough to sweep this. That's just a reflection of what polls are already telling us. The debate just started, but it's quite clear that the optics of a debate thus far are going to Trump.
Wow, I didn't see it as I was working. It was somehow worse than I thought even after reading all the threads. Biden should not be there. I will be voting for whomever the democrats nominate because the alternative is worse, but the US is so fucked.
Watching the PBS stream and they show the attack ad against Biden;
"Are you financially better off since he became president."
Is your family safer?
Is our country more secure?"
Yes to all three in my family's case.
Thanks to Democratic legislation I dodged nearly $35,000 in emergency medical expenses and instead had to only pay about $750. Thanks to the IRA legislation, I was able to invest in both solar and an energy-efficient A/C for my house for which I got 30% off through deductions that I otherwise wouldn't have obtained.
I definitely feel safer in this border state, my elections more secure, and I appreciate a leader who stands up to global tyrants.
Lol...it took 3 minutes after the debate for ABC to essentially call for Biden to step down. Finally someone said the quiet thing out loud.
That might have been the worst debate performance in the history of US presidential debates. When Kennedy won might be the only other death swing in polls like we will see tomorrow.
These gentlemen are debating each other with the confidence and energy of a 6th grade debate club. This is simultaneously the most hilarious and terrifying thing I've ever seen.
I hate everything about it. I wish it wasn’t happening. That demented orange convicted felon rapist should be in prison, not promoted from every media orifice.
I disagree Joe is going to get anything from this. But, the die is cast so - baby needs a new pair of shoes!
Biden is hammering home a lot of important shit. I'd say he's warmed up by now.
Though him lying that Hamas is the only group that wants war between Israel and Palestine was a disgusting, vile lie, when it's been constantly reported that Netenyahu and those around him are rabidly in favor of continuing it
Why do we only get 90 minutes. Why do they only get 1 minute to answer. Sit the down and have an actual discussion damnit. You're trying to run a country not win a talent show. I want hear how their brains work, not their mouths.
I keep tuning in and out. I tune out when Trump speaks because everything he says is just such an affront to objective reality. But then I also tune out when Biden speaks because... He just comes off as so old it's making me cringe. Like, this is the best we could come up with to combat a literal fucking fascist.
Then I wonder, what part of this am I listening to? The questions?
Serious question, for anyone masochistic enough to still be watching: Has Biden's performance improved enough to negate the moment that will be on every GOP attack ad for the next 5 months, or does he still look like he needs to be walked back into his room and told that no, it's not 1975 any more........
I almost wonder if Biden's staff suggested this super early pre-convention debate so he would be forced to acknowledge he needs to step down. I can't see any other explanation.
Biden is really struggling to communicate. Likely will only get worse as time goes on. The fascist is much more eloquent. When selling something, its usually better to be well spoken. When doing something, its usually better to keep your mouth shut and hands busy
I really wish Americans weren't ignorant enough to fall for someone who looks better on TV even though they're a convicted felon who tried to undermine and overthrow a free and fair election, but history tells me otherwise.
I seriously hope there are high level discussions within the Democratic party and with Biden about putting someone else forward.
In some weird alternate universe where we have a 3rd party candidate, that candidate is killing it. I have redneck neighbors that would look qualified standing next to these two.
Good news. Biden might be getting angry enough to go super Saiyan. Won't be good for the talking points but those are out the window with the endless lies anyway.
Sooooooo... if this is what has finally shaken your faith in American bourgeoisie democracy, good news (sorta)! Alternatives exist, although the struggle to achieve them will be long and arduous. Our current system of propping up billionaire-approved octogenarians to give our stolen wealth tax breaks and investment incentives to defense contractors, cops, and landlords exists very explicitly to preserve a system of private property that keeps you poor and desperate.
The alternative to this is to build class consciousness and working class power in order to contest this awful system and put political and economic power directly in the hands of the working class before our impending environmental collapse. Join an organization that exists locally that's building that working class power. Seriously, don't even get caught up on which -ism best fits you, just join whatever exists locally that you can contribute to. Democratic Socialists of America, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, Socialist Alternative, the Industrial Workers of the World, Food Not Bombs, even a small community mutual aide network that supports a few of your unhoused neighbors.
This debate should be your wake-up call. The state is a fuck and you're just a sacrificial pawn in a system designed to funnel wealth upwards. It's a big club and you ain't in it.
I'm kind of reminded of that West Wing episode, where Leo McGarry keeps leaking stories about how bad he's going to be. That seem to be exactly what Trump did this last week or two. Or the people around Trump probably. Cuz as much as he's lying piece of shit he's staying on his message, which admittedly I wasn't sure he could do. On the other hand Joe Biden is a train wreck. This is extremely demoralizing.
Listening to more of the analysis and clips from the debate, Biden's performance reminded me of high school and college presentations where students over-prepared by following a very rigid, memorized script but derail because they forget a single key word or trigger. This isn't a very robust presentation strategy that can easily fail even with younger minds, let alone someone in their 80s.
Biden is basically the cryptkeeper, but there’s a good president in there when he’s not losing his train of thought.
Trump was supposed to be weaker, but he’s doing his homework and memorizing answers. His freedom is on the line. Trump has been underestimated, and as things stand, he’s probably going to win.
Oh, we’re leading into trump word salad. He’s just spooling off stream of consciousness of trump great + Biden bad and he just strings together whatever thoughts pop into his head. That’s all he’s got.
I've got the debate in the background while I'm trying to find out if I still can update the sex on my Florida birth certificate, or if they've banned that too. It's going to be easier to change it before I apply for Luxembourgish citizenship according to my contact with LACS. Euro folks, where is still safe over there? Fuck. I don't want to flee everything I've ever known *again".
Well, Biden's Charlottesville attack on Trump wasn't too bad all things considered, Trump did deflect of course, but maybe it invigorated the old fart.
...Both presidential candidates did an old man stroll to their podiums. Joes pointed at his like, is it this one? And Trump walked with the confidence of a man with one podium to pick from.
Biden got fucking body slammed in this debate. It doesn't matter that Trump is nonsensical. No one expected him to make sense. Biden just looked weak, confused, and mumbled his way through most of the debate.
I can't see how this possibly convinced anyone to vote for Biden. But I can definitely see how it probably demoralized democratic voters. This is just so awkward to watch.
I'll be at work and avoiding the break room. I live in Utah where my options for candidates are usually "Über-Mormon Tr*mp Fascist" or "Obviously Mormon Fiscal Conservative Wealth Gospel Hate the Poor" or "Token Democrat who would shove a homeless person in front of a bus evangelical."
Rules for the debate: There is no live audience and microphones will be muted when it isn’t the candidate’s turn to speak. Candidates will have 2 minutes to respond to questions and 1 minute for rebuttals. There will be no opening statements but there will be 2 minute closing statements. Moderators will ensure courteous discussion and fact-checking.
Dammit joe. Say "you've decimated the middle class, and that's demonstrated by the fact that you can't even address the question of how you'll help people struggling to pay for childcare even when you were given two chances."
"I tried passing the strongest border security bill in decades, and your party blocked it"
"White American citizens commit more crime than undocumented immigrants. Let's worry about the right-wing extremists already inside our country that the FBI warned us about."
"These immigrants actually help keep food prices lower. Donald doesn't seem to care that this action on this overblown fearmongering will make your grocery bill even higher."
"Let's focus on the big fish like Russia, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Chinese foreign nationals buying large swaths of American soil. Heck even the King of Jordan owns beach front Malibu mansions that subtracts from the average America's chance at the American dream."
We should assume Biden will do well in the debate and get as many eye balls watching it as possible. If you know people who might otherwise not watch the debate, consider sending them the how to watch link. Biden needs the debate win for his campaign where as Trump would prefer if everyone tuned out. It would be a missed opportunity if no one watches.
I think the fact that Trump managed to actually not get mic-cut and generally didn't fly off the handle probably works in his favor as well. A bar so low you can trip over it.
Thanks Obama and capitalism. Without the Obama's behind the scenes phone call bullshit intervention in the last primary which ended up giving us Biden we would have had Bernie as the president and none of this would have happened.