Post-debate thoughts
What the hell?
What we saw last night was a once-great party brought down low by the carnival barker it adopted as its leader.
Donald Trump was unhinged. Of course he didn't debate policy, because he knows nothing of policy. The entire point of his fetid political career is that he doesn't have to know about policy, only speak to white grievance.
But last night was something different. We saw a man have a psychotic break in front of tens of millions of people. We saw a man who couldn't exercise the barest modicum of self-control. We saw a man so out of his mind that we fear what he'll do with the nuclear codes.
We cannot get rid of him soon enough. He's not only a threat to this Republic, but to the world at large. In the depths of Watergate, those around Richard Nixon placed safeguards in case he decided to launch a nuclear strike. Are the same safeguards in place now? We'll know as the the memoirs get written over the coming year. The frightening thing is that Trump has purged the government to such an extent that there may not be an adult minding the store. The next five weeks will be some of the most dangerous in our history.
Joe Biden did as well as he could. I in no way mean this as a criticism. How can you debate someone who has no idea how to debate? Someone who is so far gone that you can't engage in a discussion with him? Biden spoke to the American people directly and well, and that's the best he could hope for out of this farce.
And it was such a farce that this is what's being reported this morning:
@costareports — who is very well sourced within GOP — is on MSNBC reporting that Republicans he is talking to after debate tonight are telling him they smell a 1964 style GOP wipeout looming…#TrumpDisaster
— Mike Murphy (@murphymike) September 30, 2020
The GOP has no one to blame other than its own vile quest for absolute power. As a party it has no principles. It has no beliefs, aside from gaining and maintaining power. It has no plan to help people, and no desire to do so. It exists solely to line its pockets and those of its donor class. But even that class—the rich and well-heeled—are starting to see that the GOP's fascism will bring a reaction which might imperil their wealth. Trump and his party are running out of friends, fast. Sure, the base still loves him. But as the summer and fall have shown, that base is nowhere near enough to win an election.
Strap in, boys and girls. It'll get only more bumpy from here on out.