Neither candidate performed well in Thursday’s not-so-great presidential debate. The problem is that Americans hold President Biden to a higher standard than Donald Trump, allowing the former president to win a race to the bottom.
CNN broke new ground by airing commercials for the first time during a general election presidential debate. But the broadcast was not an effective ad for American democracy.
Both candidates failed to address their biggest weaknesses. Biden wasn’t able to reassure voters who might have concerns about his age. Trump failed to convince Americans that he has the moral fiber and credibility to be an honest and trustworthy leader.
On X, former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann accurately described Trump’s performance as a “firehose of lies.” President Biden was tentative and failed to capitalize on his opponent’s serial lies.
CNN’s decision to mute mics was wise, but the network’s failure to instantaneously fact check the candidates was an abrogation of its obligation to be a........