Friday Mailbag!

Here we go.

Happy Friday!

We made it!

Next week is going to be a BIG one. We’ve got the first presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump set for Thursday night. And that day — or maybe the next — we could get a ruling from the Supreme Court on Donald Trump’s case for total immunity as president.

So, lots to look forward to. But, what’s on your mind right now? I’ve got a ton of questions from the “So What” community. Let’s get to them!

Quick reminder: The Friday Mailbag is one of a handful of posts I put behind the paywall. To read the whole thing, become a paid subscriber. It’s just $6 a month or $60 a year! Treat yourself to a subscription today!

Q: Chris, if you were a moderator of next week's Biden/Trump debate, what question would you ask Biden and what question would you ask Trump -- and why?

A: LOVE it.

For Biden: “Polls for the last three years have consistently shown that only 4 in 10 Americans approve of the job you are doing as president. Why is that? What are voters missing about your presidency?”

For Trump: “Can you say, definitively, that if you lose the 2024 election that you will accept the results and not suggest there was some sort of wrongdoing — if none can be proven? And if not, why not?”

The Trump question is honestly harder because I can already hear how he would answer: “I will accept the results if they are fair. If they are not fair, I owe it to my supporters to fight.” Which is, of course, ridiculous because Trump’s definition of “fair” is “if I win.” But I DO think it would be useful — with tens of millions of Americans watching — to get Trump on the record about how he would handle a defeat.

As for the Biden question, I would be interested to see what he says. He clearly believes he has not received nearly as much credit as he deserves for what he has accomplished as president. But, saying that is probably a little too honest in the context of a debate — and the message to voters that “you really should be thanking me more” is not a good one.

Q: Let’s just suppose that Trump breaks all the debate rules and really gets out of hand. What will the moderators do?

A: I have been thinking a lot about this question.

Because, look: The chances of Trump trying to break the rules are roughly 100%. It’s who he is. It’s what he does.

To me, the most important person in the debate might well be the person (or persons) who are in charge of muting the candidates’ mics when it’s not their turn to speak.

Like, do they shut it off as SOON as Biden or Trump go over their allotted time? Do they allow a little bit of back and forth between the candidates (it is a debate after all)?

Trump is going to try to interrupt, talk over and generally disrupt the proceedings. It is going to put the onus on the moderators — and the mute guy or gal! — to decide when to step in. And it’s not going to be easy. At all.

Q: I would have to say that this first debate has huge stakes for both candidates. Both on the mental front. You can't hide behind teleprompters and other means (ear pieces, notes, etc.) for the 90 minutes. Also, can Trump control having his mic cut? Seriously, unless they practiced that, I could see him getting very frustrated with being muted (censored?) I almost feel like watching with some good popcorn.