Three factors dominated the debate for me. First. Trump could have done a lot better regarding sticking to the facts where he clearly had the advantage. Second, Harris always got back to the rehearsed remarks that were drilled into her during her prep. Three, the bias of the ABC moderators was even greater than I expected and I was pretty cynical.
Thanks Chris, for being the first on my feed with thoughts. I agree with everything you said. If Kamala wants another debate, it has to be Fox and Trump sets all the rules. See how that works out for her then. Agree she has the questions in advance. More annoying to me was letting her go way beyond the 2 minute timer on every answer, on top of the gas light fact checks on Trump. They are eating the dogs and cats is true!!! So is Walz allowing a law that ignores the Hypocratic Oath for post abortion live births. Both are ick, and Trump was right.
I wished he didn’t constantly talk about how bad things are( every day Americans know) but could’ve painted a more optimistic picture of what his 2nd tenure would bring. Understanding that the mods and KH had him on the defensive most of the night I wish he would’ve at least mentioned the censorship she’s in favor of for social media sites.
My 26 year old son is voting for Trump, he decided this morning. He didn't care for the facial expressions, the moderators, or the fact that he STILL has no idea what her policies are. This probably doesn't matter to anyone but me, but after his college years, I'm absolutely ecstatic! Even if the election goes the wrong way for me, at least I know I raised a critical free thinker. I'll take it.
He blew it on the first question of the night. Are citizens better off than they were 4 years ago. He went on a immigration rant when his response should have been.
"Well when i left office 4 years ago, we had mortgage rates below 3%. The median house price was $150K less than it is today. McDonalds 1/4 lbs meal was $6, now it is $11. Home and car insurance rates are up X%. We are sending hundreds of billions of dollars over to fund wars that should never have occurred. Everything that the average family needs is up way more than the 20% that is being reported. So if you feel like you are better off with her policies of the last 4 years - then you should vote for her."
"We do not have a taxation problem, we have a spending problem. We can tax the top 1% - 50% and it will not put a dent into our deficit. This is why I have spoken to Elon Musk about creating an efficiency task force to eliminate all the wasted spending our government does. I know this will not be popular in Loudon county - but this will be the way to turn our country back to the people. It will allow more innovation and lower taxes long term. The government needs to do the basics and get out of the way then allow the people to strive."
He was too emotional and unprepared. Facts were on his side and he blew it.
I have never witnessed such a rigged set up in my years. The WEF captured MSM will have a field day with this and the timing of KC Taylor Swift announcing her " endorsement" of Kamala was perfectly planned. I think that the Transnationals will do anything possible to keep DJT out of the WH...anything.
From what I’ve read, he doesn’t need a second debate. Let Vance do his and then call it a wrap. The people who follow politics have made their choices. Taylor Swift isn’t going to watch another debate and go “golly maybe this trump fellow will be great for my taxes”. Tucker Carlson won’t suddenly think “Trump had 4 years, time for something new”.
For those who don’t follow politics, well what more can Trump say? Failed Afghanistan withdrawal is real. Inflation is real. Terrible economy is real. Another debate won’t change that.
People have to decide if the current course but faster is a good idea or whether they want to slow it down for 4 years and get a clean reset of available candidates.
I still think it’s possible the Democrats October surprise could be Joe entering early retirement so Kamala can be elevated prior to the election. What is the downside for them to do that?
They would never do that only because then the anchor of this horrible economy would be totally looped around her neck and that will sink her. How it stands now, you have to elect her so she can make the effective changes needed to “save” Americans. Even though, every one of her policies would effectively sink Americans even further than where we are now.
Sorry Chris, you’re wrong. I’m a Trump supporter and nothing about last night will change my vote, but fence sitters may well have been swayed by the contrast between a polished performance versus what at times was an unhinged rant. Trump was unprepared. He thought that he could drone on and on like he does at one of his rallies and that would be enough. He is right on every important policy, she is wrong on every important policy, but he lost. That’s not good.
There are those who are stupid enough to believe that they can vote their way out of a system that is actively oppressing and killing them. - Russell Blake
I want to agree with you, but I have 2 late 30s, white, semi-conservative-suburb raised, family members who will be gleefully voting for Kamala. They are very logical people on most things, and definitely fiscally conservative personally, but they have been fed, and continue to fall for, every talking point (ie "lie") of the Left.
Now, thankfully almost every other 30 something I'm close to outside of work will be voting anti-Democrat, as opposed to ultra pro Maga. Not sure yet on my 30 something work associates, they're likely mostly Harris unfortunately.
I'd expect this level of delusion from 20 somethings, but not 30 something engineers and finance people. Maybe they do in fact realize their white collar jobs exist because of Democrats drunken spending.
Young people, especially women, run on emotions in their 20s, before life smacks them in the head. Unfortunately, the stupid is lasting longer these days, probably because of indoctrination in our Marxist universities. The well-known quote, variously attributed to Winston Churchill and John Adams, sums it up: “If You Are Not a Liberal When You Are Young, You Have No Heart; If You Are Not a Conservative When Old, You Have No Brain.“
I subscribed to your blog to get a different view on things. You are so biased regarding what I just witnessed on the debate that I think your analytical abilities are suspect. I will cancel my subscription ASAP.
canceling reactively is the opposite of wanting a different view on things. bc gushing praise of Harris' performance is available free on ANY mainstream press outlet. just sayin
I’m not really a fan of this guys writing or opinions either but to be fair this is a pretty even handed critique. If this is the piece that makes you wanna unsubscribe you’re gonna absolutely hate everything else he puts out.
Trump could have done better period! She stayed on script and he meandered in anger. He had so much more ammo he could have used but was too flustered to use it. He could easily have called out the moderators in real time.
A second debate is unlikely to move the needle. In a week this one will be forgotten. Only showing up drunk or otherwise significantly impaired (Biden in June) has any real resonance.
I think there are a lot of people who wonder who is in charge these days. Unfortunately there isn't anybody with a "The Buck Stops Here" sign on their desk. Those were the Democrats of yore who'd probably be Republicans today.
Whoever did Kamala's makeup and lighting made her look white. I'm not sure how that plays.
It didn't have to be this way. Last night more than any point in this election it is clear that as a party the Republican party made the biggest blunder in nomination history by nominating Donald Trump over a much more polished, capable and proven candidate like Ron DeSantis. This blunder will likely be remembered in the future as a bigger one than the multiple times the party passed over Ronald Reagan, only for him to become the party standard.
We could have had Ron DeSantis, a man whose career has been marked by serious governance, attention to issues, and a track record of real wins—most notably when he faced off against a California liberal like Gavin Newsom and decisively dismantled the progressive narrative. But no, instead, we were treated to a sideshow where Harris barely had to break a sweat, while Trump imploded on stage, causing his supporters to immediately pivot from their confident “Kamala will fall apart!” predictions to the usual chant of “RIGGED!” But let’s be honest. The debate wasn’t rigged. Trump simply failed to show up as a serious candidate. He came out swinging—at everything and everyone, it seemed—but forgot that he wasn’t supposed to be at a WWE event.
So let’s start with the obvious. Kamala Harris didn’t exactly win the debate because of any masterclass in rhetoric or brilliance in political philosophy. She did well enough because Trump did so poorly. You know a debate is going badly when the attacks on Kamala aren't about her bad answers or rambling responses, but instead are based on the idea that she was fed easily predictable questions beforehand or was wearing a hidden earpiece headphone.
Again, it didn't have to be this way. Ron DeSantis could have been that candidate last night. He could have taken the stage and provided a stark, issue-focused contrast to Harris’s vision for America, the unfocused and barely put together one. He could have exposed the weaknesses in her policies and articulated the strengths of conservative principles and pointed to his successes as Governor of Florida to show that there is another way. Instead, we got a circus.
Three factors dominated the debate for me. First. Trump could have done a lot better regarding sticking to the facts where he clearly had the advantage. Second, Harris always got back to the rehearsed remarks that were drilled into her during her prep. Three, the bias of the ABC moderators was even greater than I expected and I was pretty cynical.
Thanks Chris, for being the first on my feed with thoughts. I agree with everything you said. If Kamala wants another debate, it has to be Fox and Trump sets all the rules. See how that works out for her then. Agree she has the questions in advance. More annoying to me was letting her go way beyond the 2 minute timer on every answer, on top of the gas light fact checks on Trump. They are eating the dogs and cats is true!!! So is Walz allowing a law that ignores the Hypocratic Oath for post abortion live births. Both are ick, and Trump was right.
And earrings with microphones kind of help: https://x.com/mjtruthultra/status/1833719694680813859?s=46
I wished he didn’t constantly talk about how bad things are( every day Americans know) but could’ve painted a more optimistic picture of what his 2nd tenure would bring. Understanding that the mods and KH had him on the defensive most of the night I wish he would’ve at least mentioned the censorship she’s in favor of for social media sites.
My 26 year old son is voting for Trump, he decided this morning. He didn't care for the facial expressions, the moderators, or the fact that he STILL has no idea what her policies are. This probably doesn't matter to anyone but me, but after his college years, I'm absolutely ecstatic! Even if the election goes the wrong way for me, at least I know I raised a critical free thinker. I'll take it.
He blew it on the first question of the night. Are citizens better off than they were 4 years ago. He went on a immigration rant when his response should have been.
"Well when i left office 4 years ago, we had mortgage rates below 3%. The median house price was $150K less than it is today. McDonalds 1/4 lbs meal was $6, now it is $11. Home and car insurance rates are up X%. We are sending hundreds of billions of dollars over to fund wars that should never have occurred. Everything that the average family needs is up way more than the 20% that is being reported. So if you feel like you are better off with her policies of the last 4 years - then you should vote for her."
"We do not have a taxation problem, we have a spending problem. We can tax the top 1% - 50% and it will not put a dent into our deficit. This is why I have spoken to Elon Musk about creating an efficiency task force to eliminate all the wasted spending our government does. I know this will not be popular in Loudon county - but this will be the way to turn our country back to the people. It will allow more innovation and lower taxes long term. The government needs to do the basics and get out of the way then allow the people to strive."
He was too emotional and unprepared. Facts were on his side and he blew it.
I have never witnessed such a rigged set up in my years. The WEF captured MSM will have a field day with this and the timing of KC Taylor Swift announcing her " endorsement" of Kamala was perfectly planned. I think that the Transnationals will do anything possible to keep DJT out of the WH...anything.
From what I’ve read, he doesn’t need a second debate. Let Vance do his and then call it a wrap. The people who follow politics have made their choices. Taylor Swift isn’t going to watch another debate and go “golly maybe this trump fellow will be great for my taxes”. Tucker Carlson won’t suddenly think “Trump had 4 years, time for something new”.
For those who don’t follow politics, well what more can Trump say? Failed Afghanistan withdrawal is real. Inflation is real. Terrible economy is real. Another debate won’t change that.
People have to decide if the current course but faster is a good idea or whether they want to slow it down for 4 years and get a clean reset of available candidates.
I still think it’s possible the Democrats October surprise could be Joe entering early retirement so Kamala can be elevated prior to the election. What is the downside for them to do that?
They would never do that only because then the anchor of this horrible economy would be totally looped around her neck and that will sink her. How it stands now, you have to elect her so she can make the effective changes needed to “save” Americans. Even though, every one of her policies would effectively sink Americans even further than where we are now.
Sorry Chris, you’re wrong. I’m a Trump supporter and nothing about last night will change my vote, but fence sitters may well have been swayed by the contrast between a polished performance versus what at times was an unhinged rant. Trump was unprepared. He thought that he could drone on and on like he does at one of his rallies and that would be enough. He is right on every important policy, she is wrong on every important policy, but he lost. That’s not good.
Not once was homelessness in our third world cities mentioned, nor was the deficit spending or the debt. But they did spend 15 minutes on abortion.
Nor anything about censorship which would be a big win for Trump if he knew how to emphasize a point adroitly.
There are those who are stupid enough to believe that they can vote their way out of a system that is actively oppressing and killing them. - Russell Blake
I want to agree with you, but I have 2 late 30s, white, semi-conservative-suburb raised, family members who will be gleefully voting for Kamala. They are very logical people on most things, and definitely fiscally conservative personally, but they have been fed, and continue to fall for, every talking point (ie "lie") of the Left.
Now, thankfully almost every other 30 something I'm close to outside of work will be voting anti-Democrat, as opposed to ultra pro Maga. Not sure yet on my 30 something work associates, they're likely mostly Harris unfortunately.
I'd expect this level of delusion from 20 somethings, but not 30 something engineers and finance people. Maybe they do in fact realize their white collar jobs exist because of Democrats drunken spending.
Young people, especially women, run on emotions in their 20s, before life smacks them in the head. Unfortunately, the stupid is lasting longer these days, probably because of indoctrination in our Marxist universities. The well-known quote, variously attributed to Winston Churchill and John Adams, sums it up: “If You Are Not a Liberal When You Are Young, You Have No Heart; If You Are Not a Conservative When Old, You Have No Brain.“
I subscribed to your blog to get a different view on things. You are so biased regarding what I just witnessed on the debate that I think your analytical abilities are suspect. I will cancel my subscription ASAP.
canceling reactively is the opposite of wanting a different view on things. bc gushing praise of Harris' performance is available free on ANY mainstream press outlet. just sayin
Robert...Chris is delusional on DT. But his financial insights are spot on. It's why I keep coming back here. Go elsewhere for political insight
Oh no! I hope Chris can sleep tonight.
I’m not really a fan of this guys writing or opinions either but to be fair this is a pretty even handed critique. If this is the piece that makes you wanna unsubscribe you’re gonna absolutely hate everything else he puts out.
The woman was eating the cat...in the driveway, RAW.
Trump could have done better period! She stayed on script and he meandered in anger. He had so much more ammo he could have used but was too flustered to use it. He could easily have called out the moderators in real time.
Right on cue the Dow cratered.
A second debate is unlikely to move the needle. In a week this one will be forgotten. Only showing up drunk or otherwise significantly impaired (Biden in June) has any real resonance.
I think there are a lot of people who wonder who is in charge these days. Unfortunately there isn't anybody with a "The Buck Stops Here" sign on their desk. Those were the Democrats of yore who'd probably be Republicans today.
Whoever did Kamala's makeup and lighting made her look white. I'm not sure how that plays.
It didn't have to be this way. Last night more than any point in this election it is clear that as a party the Republican party made the biggest blunder in nomination history by nominating Donald Trump over a much more polished, capable and proven candidate like Ron DeSantis. This blunder will likely be remembered in the future as a bigger one than the multiple times the party passed over Ronald Reagan, only for him to become the party standard.
We could have had Ron DeSantis, a man whose career has been marked by serious governance, attention to issues, and a track record of real wins—most notably when he faced off against a California liberal like Gavin Newsom and decisively dismantled the progressive narrative. But no, instead, we were treated to a sideshow where Harris barely had to break a sweat, while Trump imploded on stage, causing his supporters to immediately pivot from their confident “Kamala will fall apart!” predictions to the usual chant of “RIGGED!” But let’s be honest. The debate wasn’t rigged. Trump simply failed to show up as a serious candidate. He came out swinging—at everything and everyone, it seemed—but forgot that he wasn’t supposed to be at a WWE event.
So let’s start with the obvious. Kamala Harris didn’t exactly win the debate because of any masterclass in rhetoric or brilliance in political philosophy. She did well enough because Trump did so poorly. You know a debate is going badly when the attacks on Kamala aren't about her bad answers or rambling responses, but instead are based on the idea that she was fed easily predictable questions beforehand or was wearing a hidden earpiece headphone.
Again, it didn't have to be this way. Ron DeSantis could have been that candidate last night. He could have taken the stage and provided a stark, issue-focused contrast to Harris’s vision for America, the unfocused and barely put together one. He could have exposed the weaknesses in her policies and articulated the strengths of conservative principles and pointed to his successes as Governor of Florida to show that there is another way. Instead, we got a circus.