Turning The Corner

Sadly. The debate winner was this>>> https://t.co/KFj14VtXQC

— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) October 23, 2020

Politico, again, says the debate winner could have been Trump:

One of the hallmarks of the Trump era has been his penchant for pushing fringe characters peddling dubious stories into the center ring of our political circus. In the past he has been an effective ringmaster. Whether it’s retweeting conspiracy theorists (that guy who recently alleged Osama bin Laden was still alive), elevating people who believe drinking water is tainted with Prozac that is causing shrimp to commit suicide (Alex Jones), or putting fringe GOP operatives banished from presidential politics on the payroll (Roger Stone), Trump has often delighted — and benefited politically — from turning the sideshow into the main show.

But the "main show" refused to yield the stage.  Gee, I wonder why?  No matter; Politico politely (and even-handedly!) points out that Trump could have fared better last night, and during the campaign this year, if he just hadn't been....Trump.

It makes you wonder what Trump could have accomplished this year against Biden if he had focused on what’s front and center to voters and didn’t get so distracted and preoccupied by the sideshow.

Of course, since coronavirus and covid-19 first became part of the national vocabulary (remember when Kellyanne Conway was still in the Administration and acted as if we'd somehow overlooked covids 1-18?), Trump has focussed on the "sideshow."  But oh, dear, what might have been; what mighty Titans we might have seen struggling for ascendance on the national stage, battling as in days of old (Washington!  Jefferson!  Lincoln!  FDR!) for the privilege of leading the nation to greatness again!  Alas!  It was not to be!  Donald Trump was....distracted.*

As you go to work today realize that millions of Americans would do anything to be in your shoes. We teamed up with news organizations across America to capture joblessness in 2020. Please take a few minutes to read. https://t.co/IHF3DV08ld

— Marc Lacey (@marclacey) October 23, 2020

Yeah, that's another problem.  Trump didn't talk about that last night, so it doesn't matter.  But the substantive issue, the problem we all contemplate today as if checking our navels for lint,  is Trump's ADD.

*The Politico story also includes this paragraph:

The candidates spent little time on the issue and instead had what in 2020 passes for a substantive debate. Trump was polite and disciplined and sometimes even seemed in command of the issues as they sparred over the pandemic, energy policy, race, and health care. He was a version of the candidate who more than held his own against Hillary Clinton in 2016.

I distinctly remember Trump talking about the size of his hands and how that reflected the size of his...manhood.  As well as "No puppet!  No puppet!  You're the puppet!"  I remember Trump being a perfect fool on the debate stage, more than once, no more competent to answer a question than a toddler was.  However, like the Access Hollywood tape, what really matter was Hillary's last name, and the lies told about her and her husband for over 20 years.  Well, that and Trump being as fully Trump then as he is now.  Remember when we all figured he'd "grow into the job" since he had it thrust on him anyway?