Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

LIVE: Biden and Trump Prepare for First Presidential Debate in Ohio on Tuesday | Happening Today

President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden square off for 90 minutes in their first debate Tuesday and political pros on both sides are fretting the most about a viral moment that can turn a good performance into a disaster that’s remembered for generations.
A single ill-advised answer could turn off a crucial demographic in a battleground state. A subconscious gesture could go viral, undermining the candidate’s carefully constructed image. Or the debate could simply prove a missed opportunity when there’s few of them left before the Nov. 3 election.

Biden has to worry about looking confused or unsure, or even interrupting himself to note that his time is up, as he did several times during the primary debates.

For Trump, experts are watching how he conducts himself in a format that doesn’t suit his off-the-cuff style -- and to see if his boastful lack of preparation leaves him seeming ill-informed against a policy wonk like the former vice president.

Another key is how the candidates speak directly to the states that decide the election. The pandemic has severely limited in-person campaigning, adding importance to the first debate.

Trump’s campaign hopes to overcome Biden’s lead in the polls by locking down key battleground states, such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which he won in 2016 after solid debate performances against Hillary Clinton.

The debate will take place on Tuesday from 9 to 10:30 p.m. New York time, and will be moderated by Fox News’s Chris Wallace.

Here’s how to watch it for the parts that really make a difference.

Debate viewers should remember that many of the voters who will decide the election may not watch it.

They’ll likely hear about it after the fact via friends, social media memes and clips they stumble across online or on television. The decisive moments may not even be the most widely shared.

Veteran Democratic strategist Evelyn Perez-Verdia says that Biden’s response to a likely attack from Trump that he’s hiding a socialist agenda will be widely replayed on Spanish-language radio in Florida, where he is struggling to match Clinton’s numbers among state residents who fled socialist regimes in Cuba and Venezuela.

A concise answer that allays concerns could help him win back some of those voters, she said, possibly even clinching the state and with it, the presidency.

Those moments have plagued leading candidates in earlier campaigns. In a town-hall format debate in 2016, Trump hovered behind Clinton, attempting to make her look smaller even as she gave sharp answers to questions.

President George H.W. Bush looked at his watch during a debate with Bill Clinton and independent Ross Perot in 1992, which made him look like he felt he was wasting his time. And Ronald Reagan skewered Jimmy Carter in 1980 by asking voters in the middle of an economic downturn whether they felt better off than they did four years ago.

The most famous of all may now be considered quaint given the broadsides Trump unleashes on Twitter almost daily. But in 1988, Republican vice presidential nominee Dan Quayle compared himself favorably to John F. Kennedy. His Democratic opponent, Lloyd Bentsen, retorted to lengthy cheers and applause, “Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.”

Nevertheless, Quayle and Bush won the election.

Biden himself survived such a moment in the primary debates when Senator Kamala Harris, now his running mate, linked him to segregationist senators over his opposition to federal funding to bus Black children to majority White school districts, linking it to her own experience as a Black and Indian-American child in Oakland, California.

The formal topics for the debate are the candidates’ records, the coronavirus pandemic, the Supreme Court, race and violence in cities, the economy and election integrity, according to a list of debate topics announced by the Commission on Presidential Debates, the non-partisan entity that arranges these events every four years.

But the biggest question each will face is unspoken.

For Trump, the test is maintaining the right amount of composure. The president has clashed with advisers who give him bad news, given most of his extended interviews in office to friendlier news programs like “Fox and Friends” and has said he is not formally preparing for the debate.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×