these upcoming debates...

[purplefaithful]

Are they really going to sway anyone either way? I dont think so. 

Or is this now all about how style points? How well someone does or doesnt debate on camera? 

Are they still even relevant in this day and age??

[Zanary]

If she can sound lucid, useful, decisive, and in line with middle America more than the hard left...she can make gains.

If he...never mind, he's gonna make things up and be a petulant, spoiled, lying pack of crap as usual. We've seen this show often enough by now.

Strangely, even if the most neutral and simple fact-checkers show his inevitable lies in the simplest possible language, his collective doesn't seem to care.

I don't think there will be many swayed, but his determination to stay "personal" even as his own staff practically beg him to focus on issues...it SHOULD say a great deal.

In any case, barring a miracle, those two represent the next major error the American people will be placing into the Oval Office.

[IDVikingfan]

Are they really going to sway anyone either way? I dont think so. 

Or is this now all about how style points? How well someone does or doesnt debate on camera? 

Are they still even relevant in this day and age??

IMO, debates are still relevant, especially if a candidate or his/her positions are not generally known.  

But, the current debate format does not allow full vetting of opinions or future plans.  For example, the moderator will ask, "what are your plans to reduce inflation", you have 60 seconds for your answer.  That's not enough time to really define a inflation reduction plan so we just get vague generalities.

Flip side, many Americans do not want to hear a detailed discussion and turn away from the debate.  I would love to hear many debates with each targeting a specific issue such as the economy, immigration, energy production to meet future EV goals, etc.

In regards to presentation, I believe is incredibly important.  Does the candidate possess a confident manner?  Do they appear to fully understand the issues and are they persuasive when outlining their plans?  Do they have a history of working with both sides of the aisle demonstrating persuasive skills, finding common ground, and finding common ground solutions.  Team Blue and Red do not play well together and haven't for a long time.

JMO.  I watch debates because I am interested in what the candidates have to say.

[JimmyinSD]

Do the debates matter? Hell do the candidates matter? How often do voters cross party lines anynore? I would say the campaign are irrelevant except for maybe 10 to 15% of the voters at the most, likely half that.

[purplefaithful]

IMO, debates are still relevant, especially if a candidate or his/her positions are not generally known.  

But, the current debate format does not allow full vetting of opinions or future plans.  For example, the moderator will ask, "what are your plans to reduce inflation", you have 60 seconds for your answer.  That's not enough time to really define a inflation reduction plan so we just get vague generalities.

Flip side, many Americans do not want to hear a detailed discussion and turn away from the debate.  I would love to hear many debates with each targeting a specific issue such as the economy, immigration, energy production to meet future EV goals, etc.

In regards to presentation, I believe is incredibly important.  Does the candidate possess a confident manner?  Do they appear to fully understand the issues and are they persuasive when outlining their plans?  Do they have a history of working with both sides of the aisle demonstrating persuasive skills, finding common ground, and finding common ground solutions.  Team Blue and Red do not play well together and haven't for a long time.

JMO.  I watch debates because I am interested in what the candidates have to say.

Love that! I think historically there used to be more debates than now???

[Zanary]

Here's some guarantees:

Harris will try to claim the post-COVID return to work as a huge employment gain, as opposed to a lift on lockdowns.

Trump will continue to insist that this years were the "best" when statistically they weren't, and will ignore all facts/stats disproving his babble (as he always has).

What's interesting this time: Harris is supposedly working with speech coaches to be less of a vapid waste of space when speaking, whereas "the Donald" is reportedly determined to stay on petulant personal attacks even as his own staff beg him to focus on issues.

Look for tons of half-truths, lies by omission, and distorted accusations by all involved....

[medaille]

I think these debates are meant to be as annoying as possible to drive people away from politics, so that we can ignore it for as long as possible, and vote for one of the two pre-approved candidates on the ballot, and then as quickly as possible go back to forgetting that we voted for the person in charge of screwing us over.

If Biden showed us anything it’s that competency doesn’t matter. There’s a whole team of people that are running the show and the President just does what they need him/her to do. Sign here. Go on stage and read the prompter. If you accidentally read the cues, we’ll have a team of publicists to smooth it over.

The duopoly has already got it’s candidates in place. There’s not going to be a real choice on the ballot.

[JimmyinSD]

I think these debates are meant to be as annoying as possible to drive people away from politics, so that we can ignore it for as long as possible, and vote for one of the two pre-approved candidates on the ballot, and then as quickly as possible go back to forgetting that we voted for the person in charge of screwing us over.

If Biden showed us anything it’s that competency doesn’t matter. There’s a whole team of people that are running the show and the President just does what they need him/her to do. Sign here. Go on stage and read the prompter. If you accidentally read the cues, we’ll have a team of publicists to smooth it over.

The duopoly has already got it’s candidates in place. There’s not going to be a real choice on the ballot.

I think the duopoly has 1 candidate in place, i dont think the powers that run the system want Trump.

[Zanary]

I think the duopoly has 1 candidate in place,  i dont think the powers that run the system want Trump.

Funny thing is...the more I look at it...the truly evil "third party" wants him very much: the media.

Keeping him in place is worth a slew of headlines, clickbait, endless outrage from all sides, and the subject himself cannot keep his pie hole shut...so, it's the gift that keeps on giving!

This is actually one controversial, conspiracy theory I'll throw out there as at least probable.

If most of the media favors the DNC (it does), and wants to keep the GOP cannibalizing and off balance...this tactic couldn't be more effective, could it?

He's rotted the GOP from the inside, it's in a state of civil war, and the whole party is practically threatening the country with the same...making the DNC, despite packs of its own lies, waves of crime, and economic failures, look rational in comparison. Hey, look at that whack-job and his disciples, they won't even respect the election process!

Granted, that was an unforeseen bonus from Trumples and the redcaps, but it's handed the DNC, and the media, buckets of effortless material going into this year.

If someone like Rubio had ever embraced a moderate position, he'd be destroying Kamala right now...as would Haley. Instead, the snarling whacko has been kept in place by the very people that he insists are distorting everything he says.....

[purplefaithful]

Glad to see politics on the back-burner with the candidates today (9/11).

As it should be.

I don't know how close this race will be? I suspect pretty close and decided by 1 or 2 swing state counties.