The Grate Debate

In less than a week all eyes will fixed on the TV screen to watch the first (and probably only) presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Most of those watching intently will not be expecting a reasonable discussion of the issues confronting America going into the second quarter of the 21st century. Televised presidential debates have always been more beauty contests than substantial debates. More people remember Nixon’s excessive sweating than any policy points he might have raised during the debate with John F. Kennedy. And Reagan’s good humored fun during his debate with Walter Mondale won him lots of votes, even if he often got his facts wrong.

But debates took a darker turn when Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton took the stage as the insults flew and Mr. Trump stalked around the stage. Bad behavior dominated the Trump/Biden debate in 2020 as Mr. Trump constantly interrupted Mr. Biden to the point that the moderator, Chris Wallace, lost complete control of the event.

Mr. Trump’s faux-blue-collar speaking style grates on my nerves, as does Mr. Biden’s meandering whisper, so I don’t expect a pleasant experience. Too bad Robert Kennedy Jr. couldn’t add his raspy voice to the unpleasant fracas. So, the viewers of the 2024 presidential debate are expecting something more similar to a cage fight than a reasoned discussion of issues. It will be like watching a hockey game for the fights or NASCAR races for the crashes.

These two guys are known quantities. President Biden will offer more give aways. Former President Trump will offer lower taxes. The bizarre extremes these two will go to try and convince people that somebody else is going to pay for the promised benefits know no bounds. Taxes only on the super-rich, the billionaires and corporations – with Mr. Biden conveniently forgetting that corporations pass higher taxes on to consumers and that politicians need billionaires to fill their campaign coffers. On the other hand, tariffs to replace income taxes – Mr. Trump conveniently forgetting that consumers must pay the tariffs on more expensive foreign goods. No matter what question the moderator asks, the candidates will give the standard campaign bumper-sticker answer.  No thought necessary. Just regurgitation.

No. What people are looking forward to is fireworks. Donald Trump exploding or Joe Biden collapsing. Some totally unexpected occurrence that will disqualify one (or both) of the candidates. Some mental or physical impairment. Some horrific slip of the tongue. Some appalling revelation. Lacking that we will simply fall asleep in our chair and pull the lever for our candidate come November 5th.

Pity the poor moderates. The independents that are seeking some sort of reason to choose one candidate over the other. There will be no bold new initiatives. There will be no call for military preparedness in the face of threatening autocracies like China and Russia. There will be no call to reform our broken healthcare system. There will be no solution to a bankrupt social security system. There will be no work toward reducing a national debt that costs us a trillion dollars in interest every year.

So, be prepared to be very bored. Unless everything blows up.