HE CAN’T MISS COMING ON THE SHOW
AND WE CAN’T MISS HIS REACTION.
BUT FIRST, THE MOMENTS THAT MADE
THE NIGHT AND MAY SHAPE THE
COMING CAMPAIGN.
>> YOUR PARTY WANTS TO GO
SOCIALIST --
>> THE PARTY IS ME, RIGHT NOW I
AM --
>> THEY ARE GOING TO DOMINATE
YOU.
>> I AM THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
RIGHT NOW, THE PLATFORM --
>> DRUG PRICES WILL BE COMING
DOWN 80 OR 90%.
YOU COULD HAVE DONE IT DURING
YOUR 47 YEAR PERIOD IN
GOVERNMENT, BUT YOU DIDN’T DO
IT.
NOBODY’S DONE IT.
>> IB BERNIE SANDERS.
>> NOT BY MUCH.
>> I’M HERE STANDING FACING YOU,
OLD BUDDY.
>> YOU HAVE LOST EVERY --
>> THERE IS NO MANIFESTO.
>> PLEASE LET HIM SPEAK,
MR. PRESIDENT.
>> DON’T EVER USE THE WORD SMART
WITH ME.
DON’T EVER USE THAT WORD.
>> GIVE ME A BREAK.
>> THERE’S NOTHING SMART ABOUT
YOU, JOE.
47 YEARS, YOU’VE DONE NOTHING.
HE WANTS TO SHUT DOWN THIS
COUNTRY AND I WANT TO KEEP IT
OPEN.
>> ADMITTING HE SHUT IT DOWN.
>> LET ME SHUT YOU DOWN FOR A
SECOND JUST FOR ONE SECOND.
WE WANT TO -- HE WANTS TO SHUT
DOWN THE COUNTRY.
>> IF EVERYBODY WORE A MASK AND
SOCIAL DISTANCE BETWEEN NOW AND
JANUARY WOULD PROBABLY SAVE UP
TO 100,000 LIVES.
IT MATTERS.
>> THEY’VE ALSO SAID THE
OPPOSITE.
>> NO SERIOUS PERSON SAID THE
OPPOSITE.
>> DR. FAUCI.
DR. FAUCI SAID --
>> PRESIDENT TRUMP, YOU’RE
HOLDING THE LARGE RALLIES WITH
CROWDS PACKED TOGETHER,
THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
OUTSIDE, YES, SIR, AGREED.
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN, YOU’RE
HOLDING MUCH SMALLER EVENTS --
>> NOBODY WILL SHOW UP.
>> CHINA ATE YOUR LUNCH.
YOUR SON GOES IN AND HE TAKES
OUT -- HE TAKES OUT BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS, TAKES OUT BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS TO MANAGE, HE MAKES
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND ALSO,
WHILE WE ARE AT IT, WHY IS IT --
JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, THE MAYOR
OF MOSCOW’S WIFE GAVE YOUR SON
THREE AND A HALF MILLION
DOLLARS.
I BELIEVE THEM ON ORDER BUT YOU
DON’T.
THE TOP TEN CITIES IN JUST ABOUT
THE TOP 40 CITIES ARE RUN BY
DEMOCRATS AND IN MANY CASES
RADICAL LEFT AND THEY’VE GOT YOU
WRAPPED AROUND HER FINGER, JOE.
HE HAS NO LAW-ENFORCEMENT
SUPPORT.
>> THAT’S NOT TRUE.
>> WHO DO YOU HAVE?
NAME ONE GROUP THAT SUPPORTS
YOU.
NAME ONE GROUP THAT CAME OUT AND
SUPPORTED YOU, GO AHEAD, THINK,
WE HAVE TIME.
>> WE DON’T HAVE TIME TO DO
ANYTHING --
>> BY THE WAY, HE MADE A COUPLE
OF STATEMENTS.
THE GREEN NEW DEAL IS
$100 TRILLION.
>> THAT’S NOT MY PLAN.
>> THE GREEN NEW DEAL IS NOT MY
PLAN.
>> Laura: A RAUCOUS NIGHT, TWO
MORE TO GO.
LET’S GET SOME CONTEXT, A LITTLE
HISTORY HERE.
THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES
WERE BETWEEN KENNEDY AND NIXON
IN 1960.
THAT WAS A TIME OF PEACE AND
PROSPERITY WHEN THE DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN THE PARTIES WERE
RELATIVELY MILD.
JOHNSON AND GOLDWATER HAD HEATED
DIFFERENCES, BUT THEY DIDN’T
DEBATE.
NIXON AND HUMPHREY AND WALLACE
HAD MAJOR DIFFERENCES, BUT THEY
DIDN’T DEBATE.
NIXON AND McGOVERN HAD HUGE
DIFFERENCES ON ALL THE ISSUES,
BUT THEY DIDN’T DEBATE EITHER.
CARTER AND FORD DEBATED IN 1976,
BUT NEITHER HAD VERY STRONG
PERSONALITIES OR STAGE PRESENCE.
REAGAN OF COURSE CRUSHED CARTER
IN 1980 AND THEN HE CRUSHED
MONDALE IN 1984.
BUT AFTER THAT, FOR OVER THREE
DECADES, WE HAD
MIDDLE-OF-THE-ROAD CANDIDATES
WHO WEREN’T ALL THAT FAR APART
ON MOST OF THE ISSUES AND UNDER
THE CIRCUMSTANCES, IT’S NOT
SURPRISING THAT WE GREW
ACCUSTOMED TO SOPORIFIC DEBATES.
BUT THE STAKES IN 2016 AND THE
STAKES IN 2020, THEY ARE REALLY,
REALLY BIG, LOTS OF MONEY AND
LOTS OF POWER AND LOTS OF
FREEDOM.
IT’S ALL UP FOR GRABS.
AND BOTH SIDES ARE EXTREMELY
CONCERNED ABOUT WHO’S GOING TO
WIN.
THIS IS 1996.
IT’S NOT EVEN 2004 OR 2012.
WE HAVE MONUMENTAL CHOICES TO
MAKE SOME FOLKS ARE REALLY GOING
TO LOSE A LOT.
UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THE
TRADITIONAL MODEL FOR
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES DOESN’T
WORK VERY WELL.
THAT’S A MODEL DESIGNED TO TEASE
OUT MINOR DISTINCTIONS AND
QUIBBLE OVER SMALL POINTS.
IT’S NOT REALLY DESIGNED TO
HANDLE THAT TYPE OF DRAMATIC
DISAGREEMENT THAT WE SAW TONIGHT
AND IN OUR POLITICS TODAY.
BUT WHAT WE NEED NOW IS A MODEL
THAT GIVES THE CANDIDATES MORE
TIME TO EXPLAIN THEIR VIEWS AND
THE LAYOUT FOR VOTERS WHAT’S
REALLY AT STAKE.
BECAUSE LIKE IT OR NOT, THE
VOTERS HAVE TO CHOOSE, NOT US IN
THE MEDIA, BUT YOU.
THIS ISN’T LIKE 2000 WHEN THE
STAKES WERE NOT ALL THAT BIG.
LOSING THE SELECTION WILL REALLY
HURT AND WILL HURT FOR A VERY
LONG TIME.
I THINK THE MORE YOU LET
EVERYONE HAVE THEIR SAY, EVEN IF
THEY ARE ANGRY AND UPSET, THE
BETTER OFF WE WILL ALL BE.
AND I HAVE TO NOTE THIS, I THINK
TRUMP WAS VERY STRONG ON SEVERAL
POINTS THEY ARE NOT GOING TO
HEAR ELSEWHERE.
HE REMINDED VOTERS THAT BIDEN IS
GOING TO SHUT DOWN THE ECONOMY
NEXT YEAR AND THAT BIDEN HAS NO
GOOD ANSWER.
WHEN HE SAYS NATIONAL STRATEGY,
THAT’S WHAT HE MEANS, MASKS AND
SHUTTING DOWN THE COUNTRY.
IF ANYTHING, BIDEN SEEMED TO
AGREE THAT FOR THE LOCKDOWNS
WERE NECESSARY.
TRUMP ALSO RAISED THE ISSUE OF
BIDEN’S FAMILY FINANCES AND
BIDEN NEVER REALLY RESPONDED TO
THAT EITHER, NOT IN ANY
SUBSTANTIVE WAY.
TRUMP WAS GOING ON THE TOPIC OF
UNREST AND DEMOCRATIC CITIES AND
BIDEN DIDN’T HAVE AN ANSWER ON
THAT QUESTION EITHER, ON WHETHER
HE HAS ANY SUPPORT.
HE WAS ASKED POINT BLANK, NAME
ONE LAW ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATION
SUPPORTING YOU.
CRICKETS.
TRUMP HAD A GOOD ANSWER ON
CRITICAL RACE THEORY AND BIDEN
OBVIOUSLY DOESN’T KNOW WHAT’S
BEING TAUGHT IN ANY OF THOSE
SEMINARS.
JUST DIDN’T SEEM TO HAVE A CLUE.
AND TRUMP HAD THE BETTER ANSWER
ON THE SUPREME COURT NOMINATION