Veteran journalist and Fox News reporter Chris Wallace returned on Sept. 29, 2020, to moderate
his second presidential debate ever at the first showdown between Republican incumbent
Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
At first, Wallace was a welcomed choice, as many praised him for having a no-nonsense,
sharp approach when moderating the final debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton back
in 2016. In fact, his performance got rewarded with positive reviews from both sides of the
political spectrum.
What's more? Wallace hails from a family of respected journalists, so there's a legacy
backing up his resume and proven skills.
So it is arguably surprising, then, that the audience appeared to have flipped on Wallace
during the first presidential debate of 2020, which took place in Cleveland, Ohio. Spectators
on both political sides have tweeted up a storm about their grievances with Wallace's
moderation this time around.
Ahead of the first presidential debate, Wallace told Fox News his job as a moderator is, quote,
"to be as invisible as possible." However, audiences from both political parties appear
to think he took that stance too far. Former NBC News executive Mark Lukasiewicz tweeted:
"So far Wallace is not winning as moderator. Occasional valiant effort but not effective."
He later added that Wallace, quote, "completely lost control."
Viral conservative personality Kaitlin Bennett agreed, tweeting:
"Chris Wallace lost that debate."
Although Wallace got commended for being able to keep control of the microphone during the
last presidential election, he clearly had a hard time taking the reins this year. He
argued with Trump many times, pleading with the president to let him ask a question before
cutting in. However, Trump did not seem to back down.
"I guess I'm debating you, not him, but that's OK, I'm not surprised."
But Wallace did not back down so easily, either. The moderator took a brief pause during the
debate to address Trump directly.
"I think that the country would be better served if we allowed both people to speak
with fewer interruptions. I'm appealing to you, sir, to do it."
Things got ugly between the two candidates.
In Wallace's defense, the Cleveland debate wasn't an easy one to moderate, as both Biden
and Trump relentlessly traded barbs over their policies on climate change, law enforcement,
white supremacists, and more. At some points, it started to sound more like a high school
cafeteria fight than a nationally televised debate between politicians vying for the highest
office in the land.
While discussing healthcare policy, Biden lost his patience with the standing president.
"Will you shut up, man?"
In another heated moment, he added:
"Folks, do you have any idea what this clown's doing? I tell you what, he is not for anybody
needing healthcare."
The president wasn't any kinder while defending his actions during the coronavirus pandemic,
saying, quote, "We've done a great job."
"But I tell you, Joe, you could never have done the job we've done. You don't have it
in your blood, you could have never done that job."
While the Democratic candidate attempted to point out what he thinks are mistakes made
by the administration, the president added:
"There's nothing smart about you, Joe."
Even after Wallace managed to get a couple of words in, pleading with Trump directly
to allow, quote, "both people to speak with fewer interruptions," the incumbent president
didn't take the feedback well. He responded to say that Biden was also interrupting.
"And him, too."
"Well, frankly you've been doing more interrupting."
"Well, that's alright. He does plenty."
Although many people felt that Wallace didn't do a good job in wrangling the candidates
to calm down or let the other speak, it wasn't an easy job in the first place. All we have
to say is better luck to the next moderator on October 15, 2020. Per The New York Times,
Steve Scully, political editor at C-SPAN, is scheduled to moderate a town-hall-style
event with undecided voters from South Florida.
Hopefully, Scully will have some better ideas about how to get the two candidates to stop
talking over each other and actually debate.
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