Presidential debate megathread (debate 1: June 27, 9pm EDT, CNN)

[Sir Mohamed]

Excellent news. Either Biden slays and calms everyone down, or he sucks and we replace him at the convention.

He isn't going to be replaced, but I really doubt he craters. Even 50% of his SOTU performance would be solid. If he can repeat this, he's going to roll over Trump.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Excellent news. Either Biden slays and calms everyone down, or he sucks and we replace him at the convention.

He isn't going to be replaced, but I really doubt he craters. Even 50% of his SOTU performance would be solid. If he can repeat this, he's going to roll over Trump.

Tradition hasn't been kind to incumbents in their first debates.
Then again Trump by skipping primary debates also had zero practice and he was never much of a debater.

[riceowl]

https://twitter.com/BrookeSingman/status/1790754865368473628 no change needed to thread title

[7,052,770]

Excellent news. Either Biden slays and calms everyone down, or he sucks and we replace him at the convention.

He isn't going to be replaced, but I really doubt he craters. Even 50% of his SOTU performance would be solid. If he can repeat this, he's going to roll over Trump.

I strongly suspect Biden will do very well in the debate.

But if he looks old and confused and flops, I think there will be heavy pressure on him to step aside.

[2016]

LOL,
Making this Debate Proposal by the Biden Campaign sounds very much like that he is behind potentially even as significantly as the NY Times/Siena & other Battleground State Polls are suggesting.

Pres Biden looked like an "Angry Old White Guy" in that Video.

[Crumpets]

Would this be the first ever presidential debate when the running mate of one of the candidates was unknown?

[Stranger in a strange land]

Why are either of them so eager to debate? Seems like a big risk for both campaigns

Because the best way to squelch the "Biden has dementia" talk is a competent debate performance. Expectations for him are so low that all he has to do is show up and give semi-coherent answers to the debate questions and it will be enough of a win to generate favorable media coverage.

[emailking]

It's really happening.

https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1790713878248038478

"I hear you're free on Wednesdays."😂

[emailking]

I guess part of this is to stiff RFK. But anyway, I'm here for it. June 27, hmm that's a Thursday. I'll get pizza for it!

[Open Source Intelligence]

Why are either of them so eager to debate? Seems like a big risk for both campaigns

CNN - In the letter on Wednesday, Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said the campaign is proposing an altered schedule because the original dates are “out of step with changes with changes in the structure of our elections and the interests of voters,” pointing to the timeline of early voting, the way the commission has built debates as an “entertainment spectacle” and the commission being “unable or unwilling” to enforce rules in 2020 debates.

TL;DR - Both campaigns hate the COPD.

Well that was known for the Republicans. This is new information for the Democrats.

[GeorgiaModerate]

https://twitter.com/CNNPR/status/1790757195455324413

[Open Source Intelligence]

Why are either of them so eager to debate? Seems like a big risk for both campaigns

Because the best way to squelch the "Biden has dementia" talk is a competent debate performance.

I think back to the SNL closing joke from the 2nd Bush-Gore debate: "it's clear that the two of you were either heavily coached (Bush) or heavily medicated (Gore)."

[GAinDC]

LOL,
Making this Debate Proposal by the Biden Campaign sounds very much like that he is behind potentially even as significantly as the NY Times/Siena & other Battleground State Polls are suggesting.

Pres Biden looked like an "Angry Old White Guy" in that Video.

Trump was the one who was calling for debates first, and he quickly accepted Biden’s challenge.

[2016]

Both Campaigns are actually really stupid if they think that a June Debate would influence how Voters cast Ballots in September/October/November.

Most people ain't tuning into Politics until after Labor Day.

After that June Debate Trump still has to name his Running Mate, has his Convention as does Biden + the Paris Summer Olympics where the Race is basically shut down.

The September Date is way more meaningful IMO!

June 27th is rougly a week before Independence Day where Families planting & preparing their Summer Vacations/Holidays.

[The Mikado]

Excellent news. Either Biden slays and calms everyone down, or he sucks and we replace him at the convention.

He isn't going to be replaced, but I really doubt he craters. Even 50% of his SOTU performance would be solid. If he can repeat this, he's going to roll over Trump.

I strongly suspect Biden will do very well in the debate.

But if he looks old and confused and flops, I think there will be heavy pressure on him to step aside.

You know as well as I do that the most likely outcome is somewhere in the mushy middle of "everyone thought the debate was depressing and no one really scored any major points." Much like the 2020 debates.

[2016]

LOL,
Making this Debate Proposal by the Biden Campaign sounds very much like that he is behind potentially even as significantly as the NY Times/Siena & other Battleground State Polls are suggesting.

Pres Biden looked like an "Angry Old White Guy" in that Video.

Trump was the one who was calling for debates first, and he quickly accepted Biden’s challenge.

I have Issues with Jake Tapper & Dana Bash as Debate Moderators. There is no way you get fair treatment from them if you are a Republican.

[heatcharger]

Why are either of them so eager to debate? Seems like a big risk for both campaigns

CNN - In the letter on Wednesday, Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said the campaign is proposing an altered schedule because the original dates are “out of step with changes with changes in the structure of our elections and the interests of voters,” pointing to the timeline of early voting, the way the commission has built debates as an “entertainment spectacle” and the commission being “unable or unwilling” to enforce rules in 2020 debates.

TL;DR - Both campaigns hate the COPD.

Well that was known for the Republicans. This is new information for the Democrats.

Biden destroying norms and traditions, beautiful.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Both Campaigns are actually really stupid if they think that a June Debate would influence how Voters cast Ballots in September/October/November.

Most people ain't tuning into Politics until after Labor Day.

After that June Debate Trump still has to name his Running Mate, has his Convention as does Biden + the Paris Summer Olympics where the Race is basically shut down.

The September Date is way more meaningful IMO!

June 27th is rougly a week before Independence Day where Families planting & preparing their Summer Vacations/Holidays.

The calculation for the Biden camp is that this brings Trump back into voters' attention and reinforces the fact that yes, this is a choice between Biden and Trump - something which a large part of the less tuned-in part of the electorate still doesn't seem to realize!  Biden needs to make this a "choice" election, rather than a referendum on his own performance.  If it's the latter, he probably loses.  If it's the former, he's in a much better position.

[Landslide Lyndon]

You know as well as I do that the most likely outcome is somewhere in the mushy middle of "everyone thought the debate was depressing and no one really scored any major points." Much like the 2020 debates.

Nobody cares about the pundits and their opinions. It's the snap polls of the public which shape the narrative.

[MillennialModerate]

This tells me the Biden camp knows they are losing. If they felt confident they wouldn’t have done this

Excellent news. Either Biden slays and calms everyone down, or he sucks and we replace him at the convention.

Doubt he steps aside. Especially when the alternative is Kamala.

[TheTide]

Excellent news. Either Biden slays and calms everyone down, or he sucks and we replace him at the convention.

The primary motivation for Biden might be to shore up his internal position within the Democratic Party before the convention. The election itself is of course further into the future than the convention.

[2016]

Both Campaigns are actually really stupid if they think that a June Debate would influence how Voters cast Ballots in September/October/November.

Most people ain't tuning into Politics until after Labor Day.

After that June Debate Trump still has to name his Running Mate, has his Convention as does Biden + the Paris Summer Olympics where the Race is basically shut down.

The September Date is way more meaningful IMO!

June 27th is rougly a week before Independence Day where Families planting & preparing their Summer Vacations/Holidays.

The calculation for the Biden camp is that this brings Trump back into voters' attention and reinforces the fact that yes, this is a choice between Biden and Trump - something which a large part of the less tuned-in part of the electorate still doesn't seem to realize!  Biden needs to make this a "choice" election, rather than a referendum on his own performance.  If it's the latter, he probably loses.  If it's the former, he's in a much better position.

To be honest and quite frank. The cake has already being baked. This Election will be a Referendum on the Incumbent President like it always is.

[2016]

https://twitter.com/RobertKennedyJr/status/1790758680381591981

[emailking]

Biden and Trump accept CNN’s invitation to debate on June 27

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have both accepted an invitation from CNN to debate on June 27, a historically early showdown that will set the tone for the final months of the 2024 campaign.

“I’ve received and accepted an invitation from @CNN for a debate on June 27th. Over to you, Donald. As you said: anywhere, any time, any place,” Biden said in a post on X.

Trump later told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, “The answer is yes, I will accept.”

The news is the latest development in a quickly escalating tit-for-tat over debates between the two political rivals. Biden’s campaign earlier called on Trump to join him for two presidential debates hosted by news organizations and formally informed the Commission on Presidential Debates that the president will not participate in its previously scheduled fall debates. The former president quickly said he was on board with earlier debates and told radio host Hugh Hewitt that he would accept any moderator.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/15/politics/joe-biden-debate/index.html

[emailking]

They've both accepted a 2nd debate with ABC News for September 10!