Thinking too much about all of this makes me, well, depressed. Because if we can’t agree that objective facts exist, how can we have a conversation with someone else — much less a presidential debate?
And there we have Trump's major crime against the United States.
A liar knows the truth and chooses not to tell it. A bullshitter doesn't care if what he says is true or not. - Professor Harry Frankfurt, "On Bullshit"
Trump isn't a liar. He is a thorough, convinced, bullshitter.
Good points on fact checking. It will be up to President Biden to land a killer blow at precisely the right moment. When Trump claims the 2020 election was "stolen," Biden should call him out with the facts and then add something along the lines of, "It's a lie and you know it's a lie, but you repeat it because you're a sore loser. I'd call you a petulant two-year-old but that would be insulting... to two-year-olds."
He might not go QUITE that far, but Trump's lies give Biden the opportunity to remind everyone just how horrible Trump is.
When 50+ million Americans refuse to consider the facts, and instead believe what Donald Trump, Clay Travis, and Sean Hannity tell them, we have a problem that will be virtually impossible to fix. All we can do is hope to survive.
On Fact-checking -- it can absolutely be done, and done well. I highly suggest you check out Kyle Clark. Kyle is a local TV reporter in Denver, and about a month ago he moderated the GOP debate for the Colorado 4th Congressional District with Lauren Boebert seeking the new seat along with a clown-car of lunatics. Kyle Clark did a master class. He embarrassed them when they evaded answering questions by pointing it out, he framed the questions with the facts presented up front, so the candidates had to overtly disagree with him if they wanted to lie -- and when they did, he called them on it. He did a lot of his work, not by engaging with direct argument with the candidate, but by adding his quick comments almost as a parenthetical, almost as if it was a rhetorical chyron punctuating his points about evasion or mendacity.
The whole debate is worth it, but there are clips online of the most pertinent parts, and Jimmy Kimmel even covered it in his monologue. MAGA world would hate it, but I think it is just about exactly what most of the rest of us would like to see in how a moderator approaches their job.
Thanks for this post. I will watch Kyle Clark’s techniques. Few if any interviews hold Trump to account, as interviewers eventually relent to his distractions or whining tantrums (“Trumptums”).
But, I’m not clear if any of this matters. While the microphone may be closed, what rules will curb Trump from his low rent incessant yapping and heckling? Without muzzling Trump, the noise can score more “points” by distracting Biden, than he could score with an open mic. Will a cone of silence be lowered on top of Trump?
Trump heckling impotently from 30 feet away could be distracting for Biden, but I think it will also appear pretty impotent. It would only be picked up on Biden’s mic across the stage, and not calibrated like a boom-mic to pick up wider ambient sound. The moderators sit even farther away, so they would be even less likely to pick up much sound. It would likely just appear and sound like Trump is incoherently yelling off stage. He would look really unhinged an ineffectual. Assuming that the mics are cut off automatically when it is not the candidate’s turn to speak — which they should be, as it takes away any accusation that CNN is selectively muting candidates — Trump would just look bad.
The problem will be if CNN decides that the ratings will be better with some back and forth, in which case Trump gets away with it until the network actually starts muting him, at which point he cries foul. The network needs to automatically and impartially enforce the rules from the outset, which also protects Biden from having to appeal to them to intervene, as would be appropriate. My concern is CNN will take the former route claiming that a debate is interactive, and not just a series of dueling policy statements. This would be true, except we all know that Trump can’t follow the rules even to a moderately reasonable amount, so you need a structure and referees that he can’t circumvent at will.
Regarding the Surgeon General's announcement this morning, the 2A people are reacting just like I thought they would. The YouTubers my husband watches are all screaming about how it's just the first step and how taking a gun away from someone who is suicidal is a violation of their Constitutional rights. All part of Biden's evil scheme. 🙄
Interesting fact per debate per Real Clear Politics:
Presidential approval 40.1% disapproval 57.1%
Direction of the country. Right track 25.0 Wrong track 64.9.
These are very tough numbers to turn around and have been very consistent for awhile now. As a MAGA supporter I hope Ole Joe knocks it out of the park and stays on the Ds ticket!
On the debate, I still think DJT will find an excuse to not show up... On the VP pick, I agree he is just stringing people along. And I am still of the mind that they are courting Nicky Haley for VP and if she says yes, she is in....
I might be off my rocker tonight, but Facts can be soooo boring. And what difference do they make. And 30 000 lies and I can’t remember any one of them that matter. I mean he did say stupid things about Covid that might have mattered, but that’s over and I’m still here. But which of his lies were worth fact checking.
He promised stuff that wasn’t going to happen like Mexico paying for the wall, but that was a good idea even if it didn’t happen.
If I’m going to listen to politicians, I want pizzazz. The most fun thing recently was when they were trying to elect a speaker.
I really hope Biden takes some performance enhancing drugs and I want some too.
The Barry Bonds of politicians. I also would like to see him bring a bat with him on stage. It won’t cost him any votes if he did that.
You mean, don’t believe the cheap fakes that the RNC and your favorite right-wing media have posted? There’s a reason why Fox had to pay $787M to Dominion Voting Systems: they knowingly LIE to their viewers, telling them what they want to hear. And people like you believe them.
Hey Chris, I was wondering have you written an article on why Doug Burgum has been considered a contender for VP? I’ve been out of the loop on American politics the last few weeks, so I was quite surprised seeing him being one of the contenders.
Thinking too much about all of this makes me, well, depressed. Because if we can’t agree that objective facts exist, how can we have a conversation with someone else — much less a presidential debate?
And there we have Trump's major crime against the United States.
Trump doesn’t tell “untruths” ….he tells lies,Chris. Lies. Call them what they are.,
A liar knows the truth and chooses not to tell it. A bullshitter doesn't care if what he says is true or not. - Professor Harry Frankfurt, "On Bullshit"
Trump isn't a liar. He is a thorough, convinced, bullshitter.
I beg to differ. He is a craven, despicable,dangerous serial liar. But…you do you. Call him what you will .Just vote blue
🦈⚡️🦈⚡️
Good points on fact checking. It will be up to President Biden to land a killer blow at precisely the right moment. When Trump claims the 2020 election was "stolen," Biden should call him out with the facts and then add something along the lines of, "It's a lie and you know it's a lie, but you repeat it because you're a sore loser. I'd call you a petulant two-year-old but that would be insulting... to two-year-olds."
He might not go QUITE that far, but Trump's lies give Biden the opportunity to remind everyone just how horrible Trump is.
When 50+ million Americans refuse to consider the facts, and instead believe what Donald Trump, Clay Travis, and Sean Hannity tell them, we have a problem that will be virtually impossible to fix. All we can do is hope to survive.
Chris, you're a bit younger than me, but based on some of your music likes, I think you would have been all over late '80's/early '90's New Age music.
For the debate, Trump wants blood tests, Biden should request a weigh-in....
On Fact-checking -- it can absolutely be done, and done well. I highly suggest you check out Kyle Clark. Kyle is a local TV reporter in Denver, and about a month ago he moderated the GOP debate for the Colorado 4th Congressional District with Lauren Boebert seeking the new seat along with a clown-car of lunatics. Kyle Clark did a master class. He embarrassed them when they evaded answering questions by pointing it out, he framed the questions with the facts presented up front, so the candidates had to overtly disagree with him if they wanted to lie -- and when they did, he called them on it. He did a lot of his work, not by engaging with direct argument with the candidate, but by adding his quick comments almost as a parenthetical, almost as if it was a rhetorical chyron punctuating his points about evasion or mendacity.
The whole debate is worth it, but there are clips online of the most pertinent parts, and Jimmy Kimmel even covered it in his monologue. MAGA world would hate it, but I think it is just about exactly what most of the rest of us would like to see in how a moderator approaches their job.
Thanks for this post. I will watch Kyle Clark’s techniques. Few if any interviews hold Trump to account, as interviewers eventually relent to his distractions or whining tantrums (“Trumptums”).
But, I’m not clear if any of this matters. While the microphone may be closed, what rules will curb Trump from his low rent incessant yapping and heckling? Without muzzling Trump, the noise can score more “points” by distracting Biden, than he could score with an open mic. Will a cone of silence be lowered on top of Trump?
Trump heckling impotently from 30 feet away could be distracting for Biden, but I think it will also appear pretty impotent. It would only be picked up on Biden’s mic across the stage, and not calibrated like a boom-mic to pick up wider ambient sound. The moderators sit even farther away, so they would be even less likely to pick up much sound. It would likely just appear and sound like Trump is incoherently yelling off stage. He would look really unhinged an ineffectual. Assuming that the mics are cut off automatically when it is not the candidate’s turn to speak — which they should be, as it takes away any accusation that CNN is selectively muting candidates — Trump would just look bad.
The problem will be if CNN decides that the ratings will be better with some back and forth, in which case Trump gets away with it until the network actually starts muting him, at which point he cries foul. The network needs to automatically and impartially enforce the rules from the outset, which also protects Biden from having to appeal to them to intervene, as would be appropriate. My concern is CNN will take the former route claiming that a debate is interactive, and not just a series of dueling policy statements. This would be true, except we all know that Trump can’t follow the rules even to a moderately reasonable amount, so you need a structure and referees that he can’t circumvent at will.
Regarding the Surgeon General's announcement this morning, the 2A people are reacting just like I thought they would. The YouTubers my husband watches are all screaming about how it's just the first step and how taking a gun away from someone who is suicidal is a violation of their Constitutional rights. All part of Biden's evil scheme. 🙄
Interesting fact per debate per Real Clear Politics:
Presidential approval 40.1% disapproval 57.1%
Direction of the country. Right track 25.0 Wrong track 64.9.
These are very tough numbers to turn around and have been very consistent for awhile now. As a MAGA supporter I hope Ole Joe knocks it out of the park and stays on the Ds ticket!
“‘I was trying to get to a door,’ he said. ‘I thought the alarm would open the door, and I pulled the fire alarm to open the door by accident.’”
Can we send him to the Republicans? He fits in better with them than the Democrats. Good riddance.
On the debate, I still think DJT will find an excuse to not show up... On the VP pick, I agree he is just stringing people along. And I am still of the mind that they are courting Nicky Haley for VP and if she says yes, she is in....
Seven Swans is an amazing record. Still can't pronounce that first name, (I fake sneeze to cover for it).
I might be off my rocker tonight, but Facts can be soooo boring. And what difference do they make. And 30 000 lies and I can’t remember any one of them that matter. I mean he did say stupid things about Covid that might have mattered, but that’s over and I’m still here. But which of his lies were worth fact checking.
He promised stuff that wasn’t going to happen like Mexico paying for the wall, but that was a good idea even if it didn’t happen.
If I’m going to listen to politicians, I want pizzazz. The most fun thing recently was when they were trying to elect a speaker.
I really hope Biden takes some performance enhancing drugs and I want some too.
The Barry Bonds of politicians. I also would like to see him bring a bat with him on stage. It won’t cost him any votes if he did that.
Hey, Chris.
I may have missed this news, but are there any scheduled plans for a traditional VP candidates debate?
https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/16/politics/kamala-harris-vice-president-debate-2024/index.html
Ha ha ha!
Kinda like the current line from the WH about Biden, don’t believe what you see! He he he
You mean, don’t believe the cheap fakes that the RNC and your favorite right-wing media have posted? There’s a reason why Fox had to pay $787M to Dominion Voting Systems: they knowingly LIE to their viewers, telling them what they want to hear. And people like you believe them.
Aren’t you a clever boy?
Might just be me, but I didn't see an e-mail for this.
I know. I cannot figure out why?
There it is!
Probably just a glitch. Though when I didn't get the e-mail, I thought: good for Chris, glad he's enjoying San Diego.
Neither did I but sometimes it comes delayed to the inbox.
Hey Chris, I was wondering have you written an article on why Doug Burgum has been considered a contender for VP? I’ve been out of the loop on American politics the last few weeks, so I was quite surprised seeing him being one of the contenders.
He's rich. And he's willing to be subservient to Trump.
he's Johnny Bravo - the suit fits (showing my age...)