A comment: in the best interest of the audience ,which is worldwide , couldn’t the mic
of the candidate whose turn to speak is be the only one on and have the other candidate’s off for that while?
As from now on and for all presidencial debates this and coming years?
Thank you.
That’s what SHOULD have been done. Savannah Guthrie (one of the NBC commentators) mentioned this after the debate.
You cannot convince me that the debate organizers didn’t anticipate this kind of street fight. My husband and I knew that the debate would be a slugfest. These organizers knew that, but they chose to let it be a free-for-all because a fight is good for ratings, while a cordial discussion would send us all into the Land of Nod. Also, the organizers knew they could blame the candidates, especially Pres. Trump, who definitely took control because it was GIVEN TO HIM on a silver platter by the moderator and organizers.
IF the organizers of the debate were seroiusly interested in a civil debate (which they were not), they should have made it clear to both candidates that the mike would be turned off when it wasn’t their turn to speak, and that if the candidates continued to speak out of turn, the debate would be ended and the network would be left fuming. I’m sure that Lester Holt and all his gang could have filled the remainng time with surmises about the candidates’ stands on the various issues, and Chuck Todd could have done a lot of harumphing about Pres. Trump’s lack of fitness for office (in Todd’s opinion).
Chris Wallace was so sweet and reasonable–very poor choice for a moderator of a debate between two men who obviously have no liking or respect for each other and who do NOT play by the rules of the political game.
The moderator for this opening debate should have been chosen from those who are known for being by-the-book and disciplined, and the moderator should have been given the power to shut down the debate for several minutes, or for good, if the situation warranted it.
And Vice Pres. Biden should have been told to wipe that smirk off his face, and stop saying, “This is ridiculous” under his breath. To many of us “suburb people” who are supposedly poorer under Pres. Trump’s watch (not true, BTW–we are much better off because of the Trump tax cut)–those issues’ that VP Biden is smirking over and dismissing as “ridiculous” are important to us.
I don’t think anyone changed their mind about their votes after this, but I think that it made it very clear that there IS a choice for us to make, and our choice will determine the course of this country, and the course of our daily lives.
