As the eminent historian/commentator Victor Davis Hanson pointed out, this debate tonight has more on the line for Biden, having more to lose than Trump has to gain. This makes it somewhat difficult for Trump to ‘win’ the debate in the traditional sense, but he has one element of this which will be crucial: the counterattack. Trump can exploit weakness like few politicians can and he’ll have to pick his battles, find the right questions to attack on.
Biden’s mental decline is obvious, but attacking this too much is also something to beware of. Instead, letting Biden dangle and flail on the line when he’s flustered is the best option, only quipping ‘Come on Joe,’ or ‘I cede the rest of my time on this question so Joe can finish.’ Let the centrist and undecided voter see what the Democrats have been trying to shield the public from. Sometimes, letting your opponent destroy himself is better than actively seeking his destruction.
Trump must also beware of Chris Wallace, because even if he is from Fox News, he’s in the tank for the liberals. This has to be balanced with the fact that Trump wasn’t absolutely thrilled with the interview the two had this summer, so not showing too much animosity is also crucial. Trump seems to sway between cozy and hostile (more the latter) to the media, and must avoid both extremes. Remember the bites from Wallace previously, but only to gird against sneaky questions or rebuttals that are intended to throw off Trump.
This is uncharted territory for Trump. This time, he is on the defensive, as he is in the ultimate seat of power. However, he still has no sincere and solid support from the political establishment, instead, he has to run as an ‘outsider insider.’ During this debate, he has to channel both of these, again, finding some moderate path. Bring the outsider fire, continue to criticize the establishment, state a clear contrast in visions. Temper this with an insider poise, show some extra prudence (he has to show more because the media and his opponents have somewhat unfairly and falsely portrayed him on this front), and show some sympathy for the American people, which he is capable of doing, sometimes very well.
If you are a Trump supporter tonight, you should be nervous, because any candidate you’re supporting should make you nervous yes, but the question is, will the real Joe Biden appear tonight? Or will it be the fake, barely making it, creaking version that squeaked out a small win or tie against Bernie Sanders? I for one am nervous, and it’s nerve-wracking that it comes down to the other side in large measure making mistakes, but with the media in his back-pocket, Biden still unfortunately has the edge. Tonight, we are either going to need a Trumpian miracle, if he can have any chance of producing them, or more realistically, a miracle of a faltering Biden, fading into the irrelevance as another socialist candidate who failed to sway America.
Sincerely, your humble servant,
Winston Publius
The Classical (Trumpian) Liberal 