In their first face-to-face meeting, the Democratic nominee humiliated the former president.

Even so devoted a bootlicker as Senator Lindsey Graham declared the debate a “disaster” for the ex-president.

Donald Trump is so feral and narcissistic, so unrestrained and so outside the norm of American politics, that he’s difficult to debate. It’s disorienting. Very few people have been able to stand up to him without being pulled into the muck. In the past, even when he lost debates on points, he dominated his opponents.

But on a Tuesday night in Philadelphia, Kamala Harris cracked the code.

  • Rapidcreek@lemmy.world
    158·
    2 months ago

    One thing I’ve come to believe is that the extended media reaction to a debate affects public opinion more than the debate itself. The media don’t quite dictate viewers’ judgments, but they shape and solidify them. And what this string of posts is making clear is that on the day after Donald Trump is still losing the debate. He’s probably going to try to stage some dramatic bullshit to derail this media train.

    • Coelacanth@feddit.nu
      37·
      2 months ago

      Very astute observation. I think the only thing I disagree with is that I personally think the media do to a large extent directly dictate viewers judgements. Which makes the rest of your points even more salient.

      • _stranger_@lemmy.world
        2·
        2 months ago

        You projected puppy crunching noises and fur-muffled trump gagging noises into my brain, and it was so vivid I felt it would be a shame not to share that imagery with you. <.<

    • Cryophilia@lemmy.world
      161·
      2 months ago

      Absolutely. If the media outlets had decided that Trump won, then Trump won. Almost no one actually watched the debate. They only looked at “highlights” curated for them.

      • taiyang@lemmy.world
        18·
        2 months ago

        I mean, overnight numbers suggest it’s a second most watched TV event since Superbowl, but you’re not wrong in that people don’t necessarily pay attention or process it. Highlights are the part people grab onto and boy do we have a lot of good ones.

        • nepenthes@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          2 months ago

          Do you have a link to the numbers, please? I’m curious if the international numbers are reported separately.

          (Me and at least three other households I know watched it in Canada. My friend in VA did not, and hadn’t even heard about Fido til I mentioned it this afternoon.)

      • modifier@lemmy.ca
        3·
        2 months ago

        I understand my very presence on lemmy makes me less representative of the mean but I was hooked from start to finish.

    • geekwithsoul@lemm.eeEnglish
      132·
      2 months ago

      Wouldn’t be surprised if he replaced Vance with RFK Jr now as that would kill discussion of the debate.

      • NuXCOM_90Percent
        181·
        2 months ago

        He arguably can’t.

        He and vance are on the ballot. So is RFK, funny enough. Which is why RFK is trying to get off the ballot in swing states. The reason Biden could tag Kamala in is that the DNC had not actually chosen a candidate yet.

        My suspicion is that an exception would be made rather than run into the mess of leaving republicans unelectable in states. But it would still be a giant shitshow and not in a good way.

        • nilloc@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
          4·
          2 months ago

          This may be a cynical take, but it would still be Trump on the top of the ticket, and the media would be immediately distracted from his debate failure. He would most likely come out ahead in the end.