Last night the two candidates from the nation's two major parties spared for the first time. The only thing they accomplished was to convince me both parties need to go immediately.
In my previous life as a drama critic, I had one abiding rule. No matter how bad the production, I would always find one redeeming quality. Sometimes that would be as desperate as how the the lighting was executed. That said, after watching last night's presidential debate... I have nothing.
I would say that last night's debate was a "disaster," except that "disasters" generally bring out the best in people; something I don't foresee happening here.
Likewise I hesitate to use the word "travesty" (although travesty it certainly was) because to be frank, I had a limited expectation of truth and accurate representation going in; so I could hardly be surprised that I was not disappointed on that score going out.
Since partisans by their nature will find redemption in all things (no matter how heinous) I will skip the condemnation portion of the program and stick to the facts of why neither of these men should be elected president. And why we are at fault for them even being there in the first place. Let's start with the challenger, Vice President Biden.
I will willing concede Mr. Biden was bullied and disrespected. Appalling so. But Mr. Biden is running for the presidency of the United States, and is doing so with nearly five decades of public service behind him. Is he going to get flustered and befuddled when Angela Merkle yells at him or interrupts him? Vladimir Putin? Boris Johnson? Nancy Pelosi? His own Vice President (Ms. Harris)? His cabinet? People yell and interrupt each other in politics every day, especially in international politics? Will every G8 meeting during a Biden presidency be a replay of FDR at Yalta? These are serious questions we need to ask, and we need to ask them quickly.
As for the incumbent: Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump. I have never expected you to be a statesman, but while Mr. Biden spent nearly five decades in government, you were spending those same five decades in business, and as such-- should have learned that overselling is the salesman's greatest sin. As a closing, your presentation was horrific. If I sat on a board for one of your companies and you behaved like that in front of the stockholders, it would be a very bad board meeting indeed when we next met. Beyond that, whatever your strategy or motivation, your behavior last night as a sitting president was appalling. What might have worked four years ago does not play now. Now you are the Head of State. You are the personification of the United States. I wish I could say otherwise, but you may have (by your actions) confirmed that tragic reality all too effectively.
Because here's the thing. The only looser in last night's debate was us; we the people. In a nation of 380,000,000 citizens-- this is who we have chosen to carry our banners, fight our causes, and represent our country. We the people have created this mess, and we the people need to correct it. Not now. Now is way too late. One of these two men come November (December, January...) will be the President of the United States for four years; but soon thereafter. We need to stop saying, "well its the lesser of two evils." As I said to my husband on the phone last night, that is a choice between hell or damnation. We can break apart these two self-serving and corrupt parties. We can de-fund them, strip them of their preferences, and call them to account for what they have done. We can break the mechanisms, cronyism, and corruption of machine politics. It just takes effort, fortitude, and an end to making excuses.
We can all curse the darkness or we can all light a candle. The choice is entirely up to us.
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