CNN, Oct. 23, 2020
We've made it to the last big moment of the 2020 election campaign — the second and final
presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
On Thursday night, millions of viewers will tune in to the debate in
Nashville, Tennessee, to see if partially muting the mics can produce a
more civil exchange than their last brawl in Cleveland, Ohio.
Here's what each candidate should do to turn the debate his way.
Trump
Candidates
are often told by their strategists: "Be yourself." That would be
terrible advice for Trump. His belligerent first debate performance was
one of the most flagrant displays of presidential misbehavior in modern
US history. Since then, he has battled Covid-19 and turned the political
thermostat even higher with wild stunts and searing rhetoric. His
hardline stands, rule breaking and trashing of political correctness
explain why he's widely popular with his party's base -- but also why
he's alienated the moderate voters he needs to win a second term.
o widen his appeal, Trump needs to ditch
tantrums and show voters he understands that the US is on the cusp of
painful months in the pandemic. That might involve taking mitigation
measures like masks and social distancing seriously, and not
overpromising on the pace at which a vaccine will arrive. To win back
crucial suburban voters, he ought to show some empathy with their fear
and loss -- both emotional and economic -- and convince the country that
he can plot a way out of the worst domestic crisis since World War II.
But all this would require the President to admit he could have done
better in combating the pandemic to begin with.
Biden
Biden
needs to adopt a political version of the Hippocratic oath: "First, do
no harm." The Democratic nominee is leading the race, and if he can
leave Nashville without that changing, he can claim a win however
pundits score the clash.
The
former vice president's biggest challenge will likely be not lashing
out at Trump over the President's personal attacks against Biden's son
Hunter. Biden's response in the first debate — that he loved his son and
many American families knew the pain of substance abuse — was a strong
moment. Biden also did well when he ignored Trump's goading and spoke
directly to the American people.
He
could do a better job this time around in using Trump's onstage
meltdowns as a metaphor for the chaos and self-obsession in the White
House. With the pandemic fast worsening, Biden will try to focus the
debate on Trump's mismanagement and downplaying of the crisis. Above
all, he wants to leave Americans with a vision of calm, empathy and
leadership to imagine in the Oval Office.
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