Just a few notes, for my own benefit really, about this evenings debate-like event. A thread.

Biden: he struggled at times to stay on task. "200,000 dead" is a powerful answer to any question; so are "worse than any other country" and "30 million unemployed." Biden didn't hit them as often as he might have. Nor did he point out the contrast between months of...

...Trump/Republican inaction on #COVID19 and the desperate haste to confirm a Supreme Court nominee before Election Day. The torrent of Trump lies overwhelmed Biden (and everyone else except maybe @ddale8, who has had special training) at times.

But overall, tonight did @JoeBiden more good than harm. He visibly tried to connect with the television audience in a way Trump never did all night, speaking to Americans' pain during the pandemic and their power to vote. Biden was effective looking and speaking directly to....

....the camera (and -- though I'm less sure of this -- staring and smiling when the view-screen was split as Trump ranted, like an actor breaking the fourth wall.) Trump always spoke while looking either at Wallace or Biden, appearing not only as if he were not speaking to....

....the concerns of the people at home but was physically ignoring them as well. Biden did not complain; Trump complained constantly. While those within the Trump cult seem to love this, overall the contrast greatly favored Biden.

Immediate post-debate discussion will feature a lot of moaning about what a terrible spectacle this debate was, how everyone needed a timeout, and so forth. Most of that will fade by tomorrow morning or soon after, as attention shifts to what the President said.

Trump: He practically endorsed armed white-right groups intimidating voters and protesting the election if he doesn't win. He didn't promise to respect election results; he made explicit reference to wanting the Supreme Court's help deciding controversies in his favor.

Trump thereby ensured the #Barrett confirmation will be dominated by questions about whether she was chosen to help keep Trump in the White House. Trump refused to acknowledge climate change, had no plan for health care, and offered only big empty talk about suppressing #COVID19

Trump promoted the conspiracy theories, some of Russian provenance, that got him impeached last year, only the third time that had happened to an American President. He did so in a flamboyantly boorish, obnoxious way. Who wants four more years -- years! -- of this?

Chris Wallace: The moderator was not prepared. He lost control of the event to Trump early & at various points later, though he worked hard to appease him by devoting entire segments to asking Biden to comment on right-wing talking points about urban violence & big government.

Wallace asked no corruption questions of the most corrupt President in American history, a major tilt toward Trump by itself. Wallace had no means to control interruptions, for example by cutting off candidates' microphones when they intruded on the other's time.

Wallace caught a major break because Biden declined to point out his employer's role in Trump's administration (& Trump's day) - a mistake on Biden's part. But the time Wallace spent trying to placate & coax Trump, like a mother with a colicky toddler, was a spectacle in itself.

Overall, the debate-like event should end up helping Biden a little and hurting Trump a lot. It gave still-marginal voters reasons to vote against Trump, and not against Biden. But its longer term impact is more worrisome.

I have felt for some time that the Presidential election would not be close. However, I'm increasingly concerned that Trump will attempt to incite violence from the neo-Nazi and other white supremacist groups that adore him. He made clear tonight this is on his mind.

It ought to be on ours. We may be in uncharted waters with respect to extremist groups seeking to thwart an election, but other countries have had this experience. We have every reason to seek to avoid it, using every means at our disposal. [end]