From muted microphones to no opening statements, here are some of the new rules for the first presidential debate between Biden and Trump.

The article is short, so worth the read, but here’s the TL;DR:

  1. Commercial Breaks
  2. No Opening Statements
  3. Muted microphones, no notes
  4. No Live Audience
  • herrcaptain@lemmy.ca
    62·
    5 months ago

    I’m kinda shocked that the Trump campaign would agree to this. These rules seem directly in response to his debate style.

    For all Biden’s many faults, having to share a stage with him in a civilized manner is almost certain to work against Trump. Especially when his campaign is consistently trying to paint Biden as mentally unwell and out of touch.

    I’m glad it’s happening, just shocked that it’s happening under these conditions. I fully expected the Trump campaign to find a reason to back out leading up to this, and any of those rules would likely be a justification for that that his base would be fine with.

    • lemmyvore@feddit.nlEnglish
      12·
      5 months ago

      I won’t believe until I see it. They can still pull out at the last moment. There’s just no way Trump comes out looking good.

    • Guy_Fieris_Hair@lemmy.world
      4·
      4 months ago

      The lack of notes will probably hurt Biden mostly. Trump will go off on crazy tangents, which he does anyway and probably doesn’t read notes someone wrote for him ever, it doesn’t take more than 3 brain cells to spout off racist shit and get angry people angry. But Biden will say 3 words and forget where he is, that’s what they are probably counting on.

      Edit: WOW it’s fucking crazy how right I was. Keep downvoting.

  • Zachariah@lemmy.world
    50·
    5 months ago

    Commercial Breaks

    What the fuck?

    Broadcasters are using public spectrum. They don’t need to make money off of this.

    • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.orgOPEnglish
      47·
      5 months ago

      Broadcasters are using public spectrum. They don’t need to make money off of this.

      They sure don’t, but it definitely represents the current state of the union where everything and everyone has to be monetized 🤷‍♂️

      • Zachariah@lemmy.world
        6·
        5 months ago

        Are cable lines entirely running through private land? Is CNN carried on a satellite television provider?

          • Zachariah@lemmy.world
            6·
            5 months ago

            Yes cable television doesn’t use broadband spectrum, but it still relies on other public resources.

            And satellite broadcasts do use spectrum allotted by the government, and CNN is carried on satellite.

            Additionally, why are we allowing CNN to incorporate if it does not benefit society? The government shouldn’t be letting companies incorporate that only serve entirely their own interests.

            • jordanlund@lemmy.worldM
              9·
              5 months ago

              The government has defined “public spectrum” and that’s not their definition.

              The public benefit aspect of incorporation also hasn’t been a thing in, what? Decades? Shit, now I need to google that…

                • ripcord@lemmy.world
                  7·
                  5 months ago

                  They didn’t say that and you know they didn’t say it even imply it. You’re just being shitty.

    • Guy_Fieris_Hair@lemmy.world
      7·
      5 months ago

      They have been making money for the last decade off of Trumps presidential shenanigans, they aren’t going to stop milking that cow now. They can still get another decade out if him, even if he died today.

    • OsaErisXero@kbin.run
      6·
      5 months ago

      Commercial breaks are also breaks in the debate where the candidate can stop and think/get fed his next talking point/line

      • 0110010001100010@lemmy.world
        28·
        5 months ago

        From the article:

        However, campaign staff will be prohibited from interacting with their respective candidates during these intermissions, denying them the opportunity for strategic consultations or to touch up the candidates’ appearance.

      • rustydrd@sh.itjust.works
        7·
        5 months ago

        I am (unronically) convinced that this sentence did more to secure Biden’s presidency than the entire rest of the debate.

        • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
          6·
          5 months ago

          That’s why I think trump will go down in the polls as we get closer to the election. The American public genuinely did want trump to shut up when Biden said that. I hope Biden tells him to shut up again at this debate with the muted mics. It would make him go nuts.

          Literally just say “I whooped your ass and I’ll do it again.” Trump would lose his mind. He never encounters people who say that to him. Everyone around him is a sycophant.

  • ashok36@lemmy.world
    18·
    5 months ago

    “Gentlemen, good evening. I will in a moment give you each five unrelated words. In 90 minutes I will ask you to recall those five words. I look forward to a spirited debate. Good luck.”

  • Adulated_Aspersion@lemmy.world
    8·
    5 months ago
    1. there will be 2 commercial breaks.

    A) Is this is so the old folks can have a potty break? B) How capitalist have we become that we commercialize the presidential debate openly? I wonder if these will be SuperBowl-level ads.

    • Bahnd Rollard@lemmy.world
      3·
      4 months ago

      I expect the main event to be painful for all involved ( the audience, the studio, 45/46 egos ). They better put some effort into the comercials…

  • dellish@lemmy.world
    6·
    5 months ago

    You know how you have to prepare your house when someone is bringing their kids over (especially if you don’t have kids of your own) ? That what this is. Things have got so bad that they have to bring in a bunch of new rules just so one adult can finish speaking without a other “adult” talking over them the whole time. Holy shit, this is what it has come to.