Notes

I did not expect this Presidential debate to ____ and I figured the opponents were going to attack each other, but the result was a lot worse than even I expected. (It was an "I had the lowest of expectations and I am still disappointed" type of situation.)

Right after the debate ended, I watched CNN and Fox News to see what they had to say about what just occurred. CNN believes that Biden won this debate because they said he kept his composure during Trump's attacks and didn't lose any voters, and that Trump lost the debate because he failed to get anyone to change their minds and support him (especially women or minorities). Fox News believes that Trump managed to hold his ground during the debate and that Biden "had the bar set very low". Personally, I believe that Trump did not win this debate, and Biden did not lose. By this, I mean that both candidates had a goal that they needed to accomplish in order to win this debate; Trump had to convince ____ to change their minds and support him, and Biden had to keep his supporters on his side.



The main problem that annoyed me while I was watching this debate was how many times people interrupted each other. Each candidate is supposed to receive a certain amount of time to respond to the question that the moderator asks them, and the other candidate is supposed to stay silent while they answer. Both sides agreed to this before the debate, and the fact that they kept talking when they were not supposed to was highly irritating. The moderator had to constantly keep telling them to stop talking and stay quiet. While Biden did interrupt Trump many times, it was mainly Trump who continuously talked over Biden and kept interrupting him. It got to the point where I couldn't even hear what they were saying because neither of them would refuse to back down and stop talking. (I know it violates the first amendment, but I really wish there was just a "mute" button that could be pressed while one candidate is speaking.) While one side interrupting their opponent has happened in previous Presidential debates, I feel like this was the worst it has ever gotten.

Throughout the debate, Biden was more composed and professional, looking at the camera/audience when responding and refraining from _____. He did lose his composure by telling Donald Trump to "shut up" and calling him a clown. However, this was after Trump made personal attacks, such as bringing up his late son, or when he kept on interrupting Biden with his snide remarks or accusations.

Trump, on the other hand, was ___. He continuously interrupted, insulted, and mocked Joe Biden.