U.S. Presidential debate

They’re different, very different. Just thank the heavens Joe stepped aside because there would have been no contest, there would have definitely been a second Trump presidency. Now we will have to wait and see but he didn’t do himself any favours in that debate.

I can only assume the American psyche is quite different to the European mentality.

How can a country with so many people seriously consider making a man who frequently can't even string a coherent sentence together; who calls a ruthless dictator "a great guy"; who encouraged an insurrection because of his dented ego; not to even mention the uncouth and misogynistic pussy-grabbing - how can they even contemplate making him one of the most powerful people in the whole world?!

It beggars belief.

I dont know where the sensible Republicans have gone, overwhelmed by the Trump machine and its social media manipulations.

Trumpism is a cult.
People will follow him unless they are thinking people and given a "get out" - unfortunately there has been too much name calling and not enough quiet conversations/understanding.
It's hard to escape a cult -as it feels like family.

I watched it too biglouis - I think she was right to sit back bit and just offer him rope.

I heard a bizarre section of the debate where trump talks about migrants eating pets. It sounds like Monty Python. How could someone so totally off the wall have been President and be running for President again?
Yet so many voters idolise him.
Strange that in a country so huge he is the only remaining candidate for the Republican Party.
Are all the others worse than him?
I find that pretty hard to believe.

Didn’t Frank Sinatra openly support JFK.Celebrity support has been around for a long time

Being a nightowl I stayed up to watch the debate.

Trump came across as a nutter (as usual) with his assertions about migrants eating pets and babies being executed. His stance on abortion alone would turn me off, childfree as I am. No man tells a woman what to do with her body.

Trump lost it for me when he made Obama produce his birth certificate and then went on to suggest it was fake. All the remarks about race will win him no favours with the US Black community.

I would like to have heard more about Kamala's actual policies. I feel she missed a trick there. However she won the debate for me.

Wyllow3

If posters would like to read a 2 minute summary, this one from CNN gives an outline of the issues and the responses on a number of issues, well worth a read.

edition.cnn.com/2024/09/10/politics/debate-takeaways-trump-harris/index.html

Harris was strong, clear, to the point, had clear control of the points she wanted to get across, and threw Trump off message several times. Some of Trumps "Facts" btw will need fact checking, for example he says that crime has gone up, when it has gone down. (CNN fact check)

and yes, he did

"“Trump went from there to an extended riff on a debunked report that Haitian immigrants in the town of Springfield, Ohio, were abducting and eating their neighbour’s pets.”

Many worrying issues around Trump, for example on Ukraine as Macadia mentioned.

They both made untrue claims it seems according to factcheck but him more than her, as anyone would expect.

David49

Taylor Swift should not have got involve, however when Trump mentioned her name, her PR had to respond. Supporting Trump would have been a disaster for her, TS fans are predominantly young and female and are likely to support Harris

Trump apparently used fake AI to feign her approval of him - of course she had to respond - even if she had supported him!

Didn't David Cameron once endorse The Jam's Eton Rifles during a radio interview, too? He apparently listened to early Jam albums when he was in the Eton cadet corps. Although considering The Jam's political viewpoint expressed through their protest songs - it did seem a bit odd. As Paul Weller himself explained, “Which part of it didn't he get? It wasn't intended as a (expletive) jolly drinking song for the cadet corps.”

... perhaps politicians should stick to politics if entertainers are to stick to entertaining .

RosiesMaw2

I find it incredible - if a sign of the sad times we live on - that the opinion of a pop singer (Taylor Swift) should matter so much to the US electorate.
Did Elvis (than whom none is greater) ever express an opinion?
Bing Crosby? Frank Sinatra?
Or closer to home , Gracie Fields or Vera Lynn?
I think entertainers should stick to entertaining, sportspeople to sport and politicians work a bit harder at being any good at what they claim to be able to do.

Perhaps there's part of the US electorate that aren't interested in the political opinions of pop singers and celebrities?

However, if Trump decides to use one of them to promote himself using fake AI- without that person's express permission - then I think they are quite entitled to voice an opinion, especially if, as in this case, the person concerned is opposed to him.

Not sure how I feel about the whole issue though in general. George Clooney voices an opinion - however, he is actively involved in politics himself.

Then there was Ronald Reagan. He had an opinion, too - and look where that got him .

Taylor Swift should not have got involve, however when Trump mentioned her name, her PR had to respond. Supporting Trump would have been a disaster for her, TS fans are predominantly young and female and are likely to support Harris

I'm amazed that some people are actually supporting Trump at all!!!!

Not major - mayor in the "dog-eating" city.

In CNN it reports that after the debate he blamed the hosts for a "biased presentation" (of course). He didn't like that a host fed back that the major in the "dog-eating" city had investigated and denied claims.

It's a shame but inevitable I suppose that it trended on X when other issues like the economy failed to. Its supposed to be a democrat weakness but Harris's comments on Trump's policies just making the rich richer were very powerful.

I've only seen a few clips of the debate so far but in them he seemed second best to Kamala and the eating of pets that he mentioned was disproved when fact checked.
After the debate he moved amongst the press which according to BBC is very unusual for a candidate and could mean he was not happy with his performance.

I was baffled when I opened X (Twitter) this morning to find
'They're eating the dogs' trending...
He is desperate.
Recorded the whole debate, will watch later, when time allows.

(sorry for repeated quote above)

I think it's a plus to get the endorsement, but what mattered last night was that Harris more than proved she can take Trump on, on the issues. The videos in the CNN report I posted above are interesting examples.

The first hour of the debate then ended much like it began – with Trump off on a long, narrowcast tangent about the 2020 election, which he claimed, falsely once again, was stolen from him

On Ukraine: "Ditto for the Russian war in Ukraine, per the former president, who – after stopping to note that he “know(s) Putin very well – said “Russia would have never ever … have gone into Ukraine” on his watch.

“I’ll get it done before even becoming president,” Trump added, claiming his election would reset the geopolitical state of play and, almost by definition, herald a deal."

"The first hour of the debate then ended much like it began – with Trump off on a long, narrowcast tangent about the 2020 election, which he claimed, falsely once again, was stolen from him"

Does it not show how she has rationalised her opinions on the debate and her country and what she wants for her country?
I'm no swiftie, but I can see a hard working , good role model for the younger USA possible voters..

RosiesMaw2

I find it incredible - if a sign of the sad times we live on - that the opinion of a pop singer (Taylor Swift) should matter so much to the US electorate.
Did Elvis (than whom none is greater) ever express an opinion?
Bing Crosby? Frank Sinatra?
Or closer to home , Gracie Fields or Vera Lynn?
I think entertainers should stick to entertaining, sportspeople to sport and politicians work a bit harder at being any good at what they claim to be able to do.

It is astonishing and perhaps shows how the minds of some of the electorate works but the Swift Effect has been mentioned before.

Thank goodness she hasn't backed Trump.

RosiesMaw2

I find it incredible - if a sign of the sad times we live on - that the opinion of a pop singer (Taylor Swift) should matter so much to the US electorate.
Did Elvis (than whom none is greater) ever express an opinion?
Bing Crosby? Frank Sinatra?
Or closer to home , Gracie Fields or Vera Lynn?
I think entertainers should stick to entertaining, sportspeople to sport and politicians work a bit harder at being any good at what they claim to be able to do.

Totally agree.

If posters would like to read a 2 minute summary, this one from CNN gives an outline of the issues and the responses on a number of issues, well worth a read.

edition.cnn.com/2024/09/10/politics/debate-takeaways-trump-harris/index.html

Harris was strong, clear, to the point, had clear control of the points she wanted to get across, and threw Trump off message several times. Some of Trumps "Facts" btw will need fact checking, for example he says that crime has gone up, when it has gone down. (CNN fact check)

and yes, he did

"“Trump went from there to an extended riff on a debunked report that Haitian immigrants in the town of Springfield, Ohio, were abducting and eating their neighbour’s pets.”

Many worrying issues around Trump, for example on Ukraine as Macadia mentioned.

Looking at the big picture, this debate shows a sad state of the U.S. government. It is a historic embarrassment. I really hope that Kamala can get enough votes and if she does, I fear for America because of the angry, deluded, brainwashed Trumpers.

I feel that there is some sort of regression going on in almost all governments, world-wide but I can't quite put my finger on it or describe what it is.

In the debate, did it seem to you that Trump was trying to encourage Russia to use nukes?

I have learnt the hard way that you should never behave in a way you dont believe in, in order to get your 'side' to win. The thing you ignored will always bite you on the bum at a later date😀.

Whilst agreeing with the view about celebs endorsing candidates RosiesMaw if Taylor Swift can influence people to keep Trump from winning it will do for me.