Well, needless to say, I'm getting all kinds of off-board complaints about both sides in this thing, which is almost inevitable.

I like one comment I heard this morning on the radio from someone complaining that the U.S. has a population of over 300 million and these two are the best it can offer voters. The pundit noted, "I don't know who won, but I know who lost - the American people!"

Anyway, we're never going to get consensus on this here and 99.9% of the people who read this can't vote in the U.S. election anyway. So I'm not necessarily going to cut off this thread,(at least not yet!) because I find the reactions interesting and everyone has a right to their opinion. I'm more interested in the broadcast itself, though.

It turns out the group that runs the consortium has indicated it plans to make changes before the next scheduled duel between these combatants on Oct. 15th. I'll be curious to see what they do and if it actually makes for a better forum. But I'm not holding my breath!

Debate Commission Is Making Changes to Help 'Maintain Order,' in Wake of Trump/Biden's Opening '$#*!show' 

And by the way, given the intense interest this debate had before it started, I was very surprised to read the headline on the ratings for it below.

First Debate Down vs. Trump/ Clinton 2016 

Dial Twister wrote:

Radio111 wrote:

From your comments, it seems you are clearly biased towards Biden, which is your right.

And from your comments, you are clearly biased towards tRump, which is your (inexplicable) right.
 

 

And you have always been far left to begin with, at least from the comments. tRump, how creative.
Biden had no plan, just talk. Trump didn’t go into much either. It was mostly a shouting match on both sides.

Trump did try to say he was going to denounce these groups, until Wallace interrupted him. He then said to give specifics. He should have again said yes, he denounces these groups. That was an error on his part. Why didn’t Wallace ask a similar question to Biden about the violent left groups? What about his history of remarks (Trump did briefly bring that up).

Again, no one won, except maybe Jo Jorgensen, the Libertarian who wasn’t invited. Wallace should never be allowed to moderate.

I didn’t listen to the pundits after the debate, as the right will obviously say Trump won, the left Biden.

NBC News reported on Wednesday night that one of the new wrinkles the Committee behind the debates is considering is, indeed, a way to turn off the mics of either man if they don't follow the rules - whether the candidates agree to the measure or not. There's no immediate word, however, if they're going to take that step.  

Radio111 wrote:

Wallace is a registered Democrat by all reports- you don’t see that as biased?

Not at all.  You claim he's a democrat, and he's also the host of the flagship news program at Fox News.  If that isn't playing it right down the middle I don't know what is.