Presidential Debate: One Candidate Falls Woefully Short
The first time I ever participated in a debate was in high school in Zambia, many years ago. I read my entire argument and did quite well (second place). Brimming with confidence, I memorized my argument for the next debate, forgot my lines and endured one the most embarrassing moments of my childhood. Thankfully the smartphone had not been invented yet.
This past week, while watching America’s first presidential debate of 2024, my experience as a young debater made me a little more sympathetic about the struggles of one candidate, a little more willing to say, “It’s just 90 minutes. I shouldn’t be so quick to pass judgment on the candidacy of Donald Trump.”
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Trump is a grown man who has had plenty of debate experience. He should know better than to stand before America and tell so many lies. Does he think we are all buffoons who are just going to vote for him regardless of what he says and does?
I posed this question to my Republican friend (let’s call him Tom) and he nodded vigorously.
“Yes, he thinks we are buffoons, and he’s absolutely right.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look what Trump did: he lost the last election, denied that he lost it, and tried to subvert the election and topple our democracy. And all the buffoons said, ‘Let’s nominate him for president again. Let’s put him back in the White House.’ Trump has been found liable for fraud and sexual assault, he has been convicted of 34 felonies, and he has been impeached twice and indicted four times. He also had sex with a porn star while his wife was pregnant. And you know what the buffoons said: ‘Who wouldn’t want to have sex with Stormy Daniels?’”
“No, they didn’t say that!”
“Well, that’s what they said through their votes. They said, ‘I want more cheating, lying, name-calling and boorish behavior. I want more racism and xenophobia. I want more love for Putin, Kim Jong Un and other tyrants.’”
“You won’t be surprised to learn that CNN said Trump told more than 30 lies during the debate, while Biden told at least 9.”
“In other words,” Tom said, “Trump won the debate 30 to 9. It was a dominant victory for the man who lies liberally over liberal lies. You’ve got to give Trump credit though: 30 lies in a 90-minute debate is only one lie every three minutes. He didn’t come close to breaking the Guinness World Record he set in 2020."
“That’s because they cut off his mic when Biden was talking.”
“That’s true, but it didn’t really matter how many lies he told. What mattered to voters was that he was very coherent in his lies. Unlike Biden, who stumbled and stammered while telling the truth, Trump was smooth and confident while lying his butt off. He showed a great mastery of lying.”
“He has definitely put in his 10,000 hours.”
“Yes, he has dedicated himself to the craft. He is using it to convince voters that if they don’t put him back in power, bad things are going to happen.”
“Immigrants will come across the border to kill you. And inflation will be so high, you won’t be able to afford a coffin.”
“Yes, that’s a big part of his message. The economy under him was the best ever, and under Biden, it’s the worst ever. And immigrants are pouring into America from prisons and mental institutions, speaking languages that nobody has heard of, taking your jobs and your lives. If you don’t elect him, you’ll be both dead and unemployed.”
“So are you going to vote for him?”
“Of course not. Do you think I’m a buffoon?”