Biden crashes, Trump lies: A presidential debate that can determine the election campaign

Four months to go election dayThe earliest debate in parliamentary elections There were two presidents – one current and one former – and lots of bitter personal attacks. Joe Biden’s widely acknowledged poor performance surprised and even panicked Democrats; Donald Trump gave a more forceful – if not truthful – Perfomance.

The Conversation asked two scholars, Mary Kate Cary and Karrin Vasby Anderson, to observe the talk and analyze a passage or moment that particularly stood out to them. Anderson is a communications scientist specializing in gender and presidency and political popular culture. Cary teaches political speechwriting and worked as a speechwriter within the White House for President George HW Bush, for whom she wrote greater than 100 speeches.

Karrin Vasby Anderson, Department of Communication Studies, Colorado State University

One of the primary definitions of fine public speaking that I learned as a speaker and rhetoric student at university got here from the ancient Roman scholar and rhetoric teacher Quintilian. In his 12-volume “Institution Oratory”, Quintilian said that the best orator was a great one that could speak well. He was particularly concerned concerning the danger that a gifted rhetorician without character could pose to society.

A presidential debate should highlight the best speakers—capable orators who’re also people of character. The June 27 debate presented voters with an either/or scenario.

Former President Donald Trump was aggressive, confident and disciplined, but he spiced his statements with a constant stream of lies, half-truths and misinformationPresident Joe Biden focused on Trump's documented past – each criminal and political – but failed as a speaker, displaying neither the charisma nor the composure he had during his recent State of the Union Address just 4 months ago.

The contrast was evident early in the talk when CNN's Dana Bash asked Trump if he would block access to abortion drugs. Trump said he wouldn’t. He then falsely claimed that within the run-up to the Supreme Court's decision in 2022 that overturned Roe v. Wade and repealed federal protection of abortion rights“everyone wanted to bring it back to the States, everyone, without exception.”

Trump then went on the offensive, accusing Democrats of taking “the life of a child in the eighth month, in the ninth month, even after birth.”

Biden's response was initially clear and decisive: “What you did was terrible,” he said. And he countered the absurd claim that “everyone” desires to overturn Roe v. Wade, saying, “The idea that the states are able to do that is a little bit like saying we're giving civil rights back to the states and letting each state have its own rules.”

But the remainder of Biden's answer was confusing. After “inexplicably different“ into an anecdote about a woman murdered by an undocumented immigrant, Biden expressed his support for people’s right to choose, saying on three separate occasions that the The decision ought to be made by the doctorand never the pregnant person.

Trump ended the section by repeating his obvious lie in even stronger terms: “That means he can take the baby’s life, in the ninth month and even after birth, because some Democrat-run states take it after birth.” The Associated Press fact check This claim is succinct: “Infanticide is a crime in all states, and no state has passed a law allowing the killing of a baby after birth.”

After nearly a decade of Trump's constant disinformation, lies about federal baby murders is probably not so shocking in a presidential debate. And it's actually an argument Biden could have easily refuted.

However, when the population has to make a choice from a great person and someone who’s a great speaker, Quintilian desires to remind us that somebody who speaks well but lacks integrity is dangerous.

The consequences for the Republic could possibly be devastating.

Mary Kate Cary, Department of Political Science, University of Virginia

I believe history was just made in America.

Within 10 minutes very hoarse President Joe Bidenwas asked about deficit spending, lost his thread, and ended his answer by mumbling something about “beating Medicare.” It was awful.

There were so many moments when Biden looked confused and unable to process what happened. I took notes on the important thing exchanges, but Biden's embarrassing episodes, unfinished sentences, and incoherent phrasing are too long to list. His answer to the query of why he ought to be president at over 80 one way or the other revolved around whether computer chips are made in South Korea.

Former President Donald Trump made his share of misstepsbut overall he was relatively sharp and reserved when provoked. He was in a position to rating some points on the topics and did significantly better than on their first debate 4 years ago. Trump has done higher than I believe many individuals expected.

Our job tonight was to search out a moment to answer and put it in context. I've been to several presidential debates over time and seen many more on television, but I've never seen anything like this.

Is there a way for Democrats to make a convincing argument for keeping Biden as their candidate?

Bottom line: Moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash did a great job of asking factual questions and maintaining control of the talk; Trump missed a possibility to say victory but pulled it off; and Biden will most definitely have wreaked havoc for the Democratic Party.