I woke up at 02:30 this morning in order to watch the debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, live from the US. I watched the one in 2016 between Hilary Clinton and Trump and was so appalled at the level of stupidity on display that I just wanted more.
The similarities were clear from the start. Harris went straight up to Trump and extended a hand, introducing herself. Clinton did the same. Again, this caught Trump by surprise. I don’t think he understands that pleasantries should be swapped before a debate. I think he sees himself as a pugilist, squaring off to another meathead with lots of puffing and huffing.
Anyway, the pleasantries did not last for very long. The questions started coming and, as expected, Trump evaded everything to do with policy. His only concession to what he would do if he won the presidency was that he had “a concept of a plan” for fixing Obamacare. This phrase instantly became a meme for the ages.
While Trump spent his time name-calling, lying and generally sounding like an old man shouting at clouds, Harris was erudite and presidential. Listening to her, the thought occurred to me that if the US elected her, they’d be in very good hands. Most of all, she answered her questions well and sounded informed and intelligent.
After the debate, the Trump fans claimed that Harris had been given the questions before the debate and she’d rehearsed her answers. This was, I assume, because Trump was unable to think on his feet well enough to actually come up with an answer that wasn’t prepared.
If that is the case, I think it makes him a shit idea for a president. I reckon a country would want someone who could actually think on their feet when conducting the duties required. Statesmanship sometimes requires thinking on one’s feet, after all.
Probably the most idiotic thing that Trump said (ignoring the concept thing) was when he claimed that Venezuela’s crime rate was down because they had shipped all of their killers, rapists, drug dealers, and insane asylum inmates, to the US as illegal aliens who were now raping, murdering, robbing, drugging and taking the jobs of Americans while eating the pet cats and dogs of the nation. As a contributor on reddit said, his job was secure if this was the quality of illegals entering the country.
Trump was full of bluster and strange little finger pointing gestures which made him look like a child accusing another child of ‘starting it’. How on earth anyone can think he is capable of actually running a country is well beyond me. Particularly given how bad he was the first time.
Harris, on the other hand, was composed and professional. Instead of avoiding Trump, she stared him down when he was talking and laughed at his silliest utterances. Of course, Trump has said in the past how Harris laughs too much. As we all know, it’s awful for a president to laugh or have a sense of joy.
Overall, I thought the debate was a huge win for the Democrats but, really, what do I know? I’m not American, after all. I was only watching out of curiosity and in the hope that Trump would look stupid in the eyes of the rest of the world. I was not disappointed one little bit.
But that’s just my opinion. Here’s what Robert Tait said, in the Guardian.
In the meanwhilst, the girls were so confused, they were on the same recliner throughout.
Weatherwise, it rained for most of the day and, healthwise, Jason went to work today. I don’t know how he went as I was fast asleep by the time he returned home.
