TRUMP V. BIDEN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: A LOSS OF CIVILITY

On Sept. 29, the first scheduled presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden was overshadowed by incessant interruptions, lack of civility, and blatant violations of the agreed – upon debate rules.

Many viewers, discouraged with a lack of constructive dialogue and serious policy discussion, found the chaotic exchanges unbearable and chose not to suffer through the entire contest. Several follow-up polls showed Biden seen by more viewers as a clear winner of the debate – such as it was.

But the more apparent, disheartening result of the event is that the American people were robbed of the opportunity to hear clear and concise responses regarding policy issues from the two people poised to run the country.

While both candidates engaged in crosstalk, name-calling, lies, and exaggerations, Trump was responsible for far more of the interruptions, from the start.

Biden, attempting to speak through the commotion, would refer to Trump as a “clown” and, at one point, appealed, “Will you shut up, man?”

The frustrated moderator, veteran FOX News anchor Chris Wallace, in an attempt to regain control, pleaded, “Mr. President, your campaign agreed both sides would get two-minute answers, uninterrupted. Your side agreed to it, and why don’t you observe what your campaign agreed to as a ground rule?”

Wallace continued, “I think the country would be better served if we allowed both people to speak with fewer interruptions.”

There were, by the end, a few claims and statements from the incumbent Republican and his Democratic challenger that did break through the noise.

Asked repeated by Wallace if he would condemn white supremacists, Trump avoided denouncing white supremacy, instead answering that he mostly sees violence “from the left wing.”

Prodded further by Wallace about the Proud Boys group – a party to several clashes in Portland recently – Trump called out their rivals.

“Proud Boys, stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what: Somebody’s got to do something about Antifa and the left,” Trump said.

Trump criticized the upcoming election’s legitimacy, promoting a torrent of unproven conspiracy theories about mail-in voting that he has voiced before. He encouraged his supporters to police polling places on Election Day, later adding, “It’s a rigged election.”

Biden disputed many of the claims regarding voter fraud, and said that while Trump’s rhetoric has sown seeds of doubt into the minds of many voters, those fears are unfounded.

At another point, Biden turned poignant, speaking directly to the camera to address what he perceives as middle-class America: “He doesn’t want to talk about what you need, you, the American people,” he said of Trump. He later said, “He’s not worried about you.”

Wallace also questioned Trump about whether he would urge his followers not to engage in civil unrest while awaiting the results of a possibly prolonged ballot-counting process in November. The president responded, “Well, we’re going to have to see what happens” – adding to some observers’ concerns that he may not relinquish his office peacefully if he should lose.

Of course, much has happened since Trump and Biden squared off.

Vice President Mike Pence and California Sen. Kamala Harris, Biden’s running mate, debated in much more restrained fashion on Oct. 7.

But Trump’s positive COVID diagnosis, disclosed on Oct. 2, has set off a bitter dispute over the timing and format of any further Trump-Biden debates. Two more were originally set, for Oct. 15 and Oct. 22.

The Trump team rejected proposed changes by the Commission on Presidential Debates, including a virtual (online) debate, rather than an open Town Hall session. The Biden team has since scheduled an alternate event on Oct. 15, thus ruling out a debate that evening.

At Advocate press deadline Oct. 9, it appeared likely there would be just one additional debate, on Oct. 22 – with its format still unclear.