US President Donald Trump and Democratic Presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden exchange arguments during the first presidential debate at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 29, 2020. (Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
'Would You Shut Up, Man': Disastrous, Chaotic, Nearly Unwatchable Presidential Debate After First 20 Minutes
"This is a sad state of affairs when thousands are dying from a pandemic, an economic crisis is destroying millions of lives and climate change is burning down the planet's ecosystem."
The first twenty minutes of Tuesday night's debate was denounced in real-time as a nearly "unwatchable" and tedious "charade" after Fox News moderator Chris Wallace proved incapable of refereeing exchanges between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
"Would you just shut up, man," Biden declared towards the end of an initial round of questioning after Trump refused to stop interrupting him.
"This is utterly unwatchable," tweeted progressive journalist Krystal Ball after just 17 minutes.
"This debate is chaotic and unfocused because Chris Wallace and his team didn't have the guts to control the mics," commented John Nichols of The Nation. "The interruptions don't add anything to the discourse. They disrupt it."
For many progressive commentators, it was both a grotesque and depressing political and media display given the current realities in the world.
"I have nothing snarky to say," tweeted journalist and former Bernie Sanders campaign speechwriter David Sirota at 9:20 pm. "I have only this to say: this is a sad state of affairs when thousands are dying from a pandemic, an economic crisis is destroying millions of lives and climate change is burning down the planet's ecosystem."
Others, like Working Families Party national director Maurice Moe Mitchell, called on viewers to recognize what Trump's performance is designed to achieve:
"Wallace lost control immediately," lamented Zach Carter of the HuffPost, "there's nothing of substance to be gleaned from this fracas, and the president looks like a jerk."
"Tonight, America saw a sad, unhinged, orange-in-the-face embarrassment of a president who showed no temperament to lead this country," said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, in the wake of the debate.
The president, said Green, "would have done better to take Joe Biden's advice--and shut up, man--rather than show his inadequacy in tackling the coronavirus and economic plight of millions of Americans. It was an embarrassment. Joe Biden made clear that by replacing Donald Trump, we can achieve competence in the White House and address key progressive goals from health care to corporate accountability to tackling systemic racism."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
The first twenty minutes of Tuesday night's debate was denounced in real-time as a nearly "unwatchable" and tedious "charade" after Fox News moderator Chris Wallace proved incapable of refereeing exchanges between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
"Would you just shut up, man," Biden declared towards the end of an initial round of questioning after Trump refused to stop interrupting him.
"This is utterly unwatchable," tweeted progressive journalist Krystal Ball after just 17 minutes.
"This debate is chaotic and unfocused because Chris Wallace and his team didn't have the guts to control the mics," commented John Nichols of The Nation. "The interruptions don't add anything to the discourse. They disrupt it."
For many progressive commentators, it was both a grotesque and depressing political and media display given the current realities in the world.
"I have nothing snarky to say," tweeted journalist and former Bernie Sanders campaign speechwriter David Sirota at 9:20 pm. "I have only this to say: this is a sad state of affairs when thousands are dying from a pandemic, an economic crisis is destroying millions of lives and climate change is burning down the planet's ecosystem."
Others, like Working Families Party national director Maurice Moe Mitchell, called on viewers to recognize what Trump's performance is designed to achieve:
"Wallace lost control immediately," lamented Zach Carter of the HuffPost, "there's nothing of substance to be gleaned from this fracas, and the president looks like a jerk."
"Tonight, America saw a sad, unhinged, orange-in-the-face embarrassment of a president who showed no temperament to lead this country," said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, in the wake of the debate.
The president, said Green, "would have done better to take Joe Biden's advice--and shut up, man--rather than show his inadequacy in tackling the coronavirus and economic plight of millions of Americans. It was an embarrassment. Joe Biden made clear that by replacing Donald Trump, we can achieve competence in the White House and address key progressive goals from health care to corporate accountability to tackling systemic racism."
The first twenty minutes of Tuesday night's debate was denounced in real-time as a nearly "unwatchable" and tedious "charade" after Fox News moderator Chris Wallace proved incapable of refereeing exchanges between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
"Would you just shut up, man," Biden declared towards the end of an initial round of questioning after Trump refused to stop interrupting him.
"This is utterly unwatchable," tweeted progressive journalist Krystal Ball after just 17 minutes.
"This debate is chaotic and unfocused because Chris Wallace and his team didn't have the guts to control the mics," commented John Nichols of The Nation. "The interruptions don't add anything to the discourse. They disrupt it."
For many progressive commentators, it was both a grotesque and depressing political and media display given the current realities in the world.
"I have nothing snarky to say," tweeted journalist and former Bernie Sanders campaign speechwriter David Sirota at 9:20 pm. "I have only this to say: this is a sad state of affairs when thousands are dying from a pandemic, an economic crisis is destroying millions of lives and climate change is burning down the planet's ecosystem."
Others, like Working Families Party national director Maurice Moe Mitchell, called on viewers to recognize what Trump's performance is designed to achieve:
"Wallace lost control immediately," lamented Zach Carter of the HuffPost, "there's nothing of substance to be gleaned from this fracas, and the president looks like a jerk."
"Tonight, America saw a sad, unhinged, orange-in-the-face embarrassment of a president who showed no temperament to lead this country," said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, in the wake of the debate.
The president, said Green, "would have done better to take Joe Biden's advice--and shut up, man--rather than show his inadequacy in tackling the coronavirus and economic plight of millions of Americans. It was an embarrassment. Joe Biden made clear that by replacing Donald Trump, we can achieve competence in the White House and address key progressive goals from health care to corporate accountability to tackling systemic racism."