In his first campaign, what Donald Trump stood for could be summarized as less war, less immigration, less free trade, and fewer Washington insiders. These issues were so popular that against all odds, Mr. Trump won the GOP nomination and the presidency. With media almost entirely against him, debates were one of Mr. Trump’s main ways to reach voters. It was a pleasure to watch him dominate opponents. This year it’s different. Last night, President Trump hardly talked about foreign policy. Instead, he sounded like a generic incumbent, rattling off claims about how well the pre-Coronavirus economy was doing — with special mention of low unemployment for blacks and Hispanics.
The candidates “debated” immigration and crime, but in each case, the President attacked Joe Biden on liberal grounds. Mr. Trump tried to paint Mr. Biden as an enemy of blacks because of his role in the 1994 crime bill that sent a lot of blacks to prison. The President bragged about his own First Step Act, which reduces mandatory minimum sentences and lets out prisoners early. Many blacks and liberals love the First Step Act, but they still won’t vote for him.
In 2016, candidate Trump said, “I am the law and order candidate. I’m also the candidate of compassion — believe it. But you can’t have true compassion without providing safety.” Last night, in his last debate, in a year of soaring murder rates and chronic looting and rioting, he said nothing about law and order.
On immigration, President Trump tried to deflect liberal complaints about “separating families” and “putting children in cages” by blaming the Obama administration and Joe Biden for starting all that. Last election, Mr. Trump attacked mass immigration for bringing crime, poverty, and Balkanization. Now, when Joe Biden attacks his tactics for keeping immigrants out, he excuses himself by saying Democrats first started using them.
Mr. Trump completely flubbed a question about “racism,” saying he understood why black and Hispanic parents have to give their children “the talk” about vicious white policemen. He sounded like a Democrat of just a few years ago.
None of what made Donald Trump popular last time was on stage last night. He sounded like a boorish but typical Republican. He attacked socialism, radical environmentalism, and promised economic growth. He spent time on issues few people care about, such as whether he or his opponent has more murky ties to Russia and whose sanctions against Russia would be harsher.
After months of rising crime, rioting, and black radicalism, running against an opponent who panders to Black Lives Matter and non-white pressure groups, President Trump got sidetracked on the details of the “Green New Deal” and bragged about letting criminals back on the streets. He could have cruised to victory as a “law and order” candidate as Richard Nixon did in 1972. Now, he’ll be lucky to make it across the finish line.
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Poster Comment:
It's amazing how much devastation can be wrought in such a short article. ALMOST AS IF BY DESIGN Tromp the makeshift conservative ends up striving to outdo Obongo's VP in 'liberalism' at the exact moment desperate conservs are most dazzled by him.
I guess I should say re-dazzled, because in between the two elections they came to see him for what he really is -- well, some did. They will again after his re-election and it will be tragic to watch. The worst of it is that we seem to be permanently reduced to comparisonism. Till the day Tromp dies 20+ years from now he'll still be crowned with laurel wreaths "because he wasn't Biden."
Don't let the System play you for suckers, ameriKa -- the "desperate comparison" game works lousily in our dialectics and doesn't work as a way of political life. Are you ready to go the distance -- gun rights further eroded, more inaction on huge emergencies, more benefits for Israel, ever more hatred spewed directly on YOU -- "white supremacists" in the diseased, lying jargon of Jewish supremacism?
More of the civil war already raging in our streets -- shall we take all these betrayals further in stride? After all, he's not Biden -- or Hillary! PRINCIPLES, my compatriots -- PRINCIPLES. First things. If we don't demand these we are SUNK.
Stop typing -- I'm not saying Trump shouldn't be re-elected under these pathetic circumstances. NOT THE POINT.
Some pithy comments under the article -- there are lots more:
So What You’re Saying Is... Xanthippe2 • 21 hours ago
I know this goes without saying but I think the biggest fear the GOP has is they’re afraid of being called racist or seeming racist. It’s really a huge problem that plagues them to death
Joeric Xanthippe2 • 21 hours ago
Many church going white conservatives only think about one thing - abortion. They act like nothing else matters. They also want to help more black babies to be born. They forget that if the population of blacks increases, then whites will have to pay all the high taxes to give welfare to these blacks, and then white families cannot grow bigger. So, what is the use? Some church going conservatives, i really feel need some sense pushed into their heads.
Someone1980 • a day ago
Yeah it's curious that no one brings up the riots/anarchists/looters, including Trump himself. Not a single question was asked about that, and hardly any at the previous debate. The subject is only mentioned in passing, unlike "white supremacists" which comes up every time. I'm surprised that Trump himself seems to go with the flow and doesn't mention it the way he mentions Hunter Biden, for example. ***** Trump is on the defensive and society is too squeamish right now to talk about law and order.
Question Diversity • a day ago • edited
I haven't watched the whole thing yet, and probably won't. I've been absorbing reactions in general and from our own sector.
First off, I don't remember the debates four years ago being any different than the ones this year, in terms of our kinds of issues being brought up (or the lack thereof). The Trump that you think was MIA in yesterday's debate was also missing in the 2016 debates, and is the campaign Trump. That's mainly because these debates wind up being about what professional "mainstream" journalists are concerned about, more than what average people are concerned about. No matter the year.
dd121 • 21 hours ago • edited
I was disappointed that the moderator (or Trump) didn't bring up the rioting, looting, arson and murder that's occurring in many of our cities. This is all tacitly encouraged and enabled by democrats. Seems to me to be one of the most important issues of the day.