23 Comments

That wasn't a debate, that was a Harris infomercial. I was undecided before - I actually liked neither and was supporting Kennedy. OK, the importance of this - if it has any at all - is to see how both act and react under pressure. We’re finding out how Trump handles pressure - but in letting Kamala off the hook - and tossing softball questions - we don’t find that out about Kamala. When she starts floundering, the “moderator” steps in. And as we go along, the “moderator” spins out a demonstrably false narrative and sets up talking points for Harris, for example on the run-up to the Ukraine War in 2022, and at this point, I wonder whether the “moderator” has rehearsed this narrative and these talking points with the Harris campaign prior to this debate show. That isn’t going to happen with Putin or Xi - or Orban or Maduro or Hamas - there’s no “moderator” there to save Kamala and us. And Trump is the only one actually arguing here - Kamala is just recycling canned talking points. And this - If no notes were allowed, then what was Kamala constantly looking down at? So at this point, I'm strongly leaning Trump, he's up against a 3 to 1 match and he doesn't fold, he doesn't blow up, and he sticks to his talking points. Trump's actions after his attempted assassination are in the same vein - he thought it very important to reassure his followers that he was OK. If he had not done so, that could have set off civil conflict... So on two occasions, he reacted as I'd want a President to react. I strongly disagree with Ukraine being forced into a "peace" deal, but the weak and feckless support by the Biden Administration for Ukraine has unnecessarily prolonged the war at the cost of tens of thousands of lives, so there's that, too. I really want to see is a debate where *both* sides get questioned - and cross-examined - by the likes of someone like Dana Bash on that CNN interview - and the followup questions get asked. That would be useful to see, but I doubt if any American media are quite up to it.

Expand full comment

Pre-written notes weren't allowed, but you could take notes.

Also, your interpretation of this debate was that Trump stuck to his talking points and didn't blow up? Which talking points? The ones where he bragged about being a billionaire, being adored by Victor Orban, or how defensive he was about crowd sizes?

I thought they did ask Kamala some tough questions about her switching positions from 2019, and about the withdrawal from Afghanistan. But yes, questions about Jan 6 and the election are tougher, and rightfully so. One candidate flip flops... the other candidate sent a violent mob to the capitol when it was clear he'd lost, and refused to intervene for 2.5 hrs. I think that warrants a firmer question, don't you?

Expand full comment

The point of this article was that Trump showed he could not handle the pressure. Make a little jab at his tiny hands, small crowd size, or his missing mail-order bride and he falls apart. What do you think would happen if he faced a serious crisis like a global pandemic or losing a re-election bid?

Expand full comment

Troll.

Expand full comment

The aged former president is babbling about eating cats and dogs, and _I’m_ the troll?

Expand full comment

Didn’t Biden talk about his uncle being eaten by cannibals?

Expand full comment

I agree that Trump let her get under his skin in the debate, and appeared to flounder about when trying to make a point. Kamala came off as practiced, and coherent, but throughly unsubstantive and beyond vague in offering any specifics about all her flowery promises.The elephant in the room however, was pointong to Madam VP, “so what have you done about any of these things lately, seeing as it’s all happening during your own administration?”

That all being said, what we all already have to go by when it comes to voting are the records of each administration.

It cannot be denied by any sentient being that last four years have wreaked havoc upon not just this country but around the entire world, by nearly every single metric possible.

In contrast, the four years of Trump’s administration lifted every faction in this country to historic levels by every single metric, including peace and stability around the world.

The entire reason he’s running is to attempt to put a stop to and reverse the deadly destruction this Democrat administration is bent on continuing to perpetrate against this country and the wider world.

That is the stark evidence and choice set before everyone in this election.

They both have records.

For me, it’s a no-brainer.

Choose wisely.

Expand full comment

I know what happened when he was faced with the psychopathic Islamic State and the monstrous head terrorist of the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran). I saw what happened when an assassin shot him. When the going gets tough for America, we will be way better off with Trump than with Harris.

Expand full comment

Maybe you were not around for the shitshow that was Trump’s term in office. The government was virtually non-operational. This is an undeniable fact. Also undeniable is that by end of Trump’s term, America was more in debt, was weaker, sicker, and more divided. So if Trump wins now, and I think he will, we’ll get more of the same, except his Project 2025 puppet masters will be feeding him actual policy. But make no mistake: when trouble comes, which it will, Trump will mismanage it and blame everyone else like always. The only real question is whether the Tablet superfans will continue to fellate him.

Expand full comment

Yet many Americans say they were better off under Trump than Biden-Harris. E.g. no inflation under Trump; massive inflation un Biden-Harris. In spite of the fact that the Dems, including the security services, did everything they could to wreck Trump's government. Trump put and end to the Islamic State, and brought the peace Abraham Accords to the Middle East, while Biden-Harris funded Iran and brought the Hamas invasion and atrocities, and the Iran-Hezbollah-Houthis attacks, after the disgraceful exit from Afghanistan, against all authoritative advice. Not to mention the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Trump knows how to do things, including how to stop America's enemies; Harris knows nothing but how to release violent criminals into the public.

Expand full comment

Yeah, well, many Americans continue to want Trump to be president despite his multiple indictments, conviction, civil suits, and role in interfering with the peaceful transfer of power. We’ll get what we get, I suppose. As he drags the country down for another 4 years, the only question how long people will abide his tendency to blame everyone except himself. The buck never stops at Trump. And once again, a Democrat will get elected to clean up the mess left by outgoing Republican presidents.

Expand full comment

He did - as President. Where were you? He was ridiculed for saying huge quantities of vaccines were coming - oh! wait! They did! The entire Afghan debacle was Biden's - the horrendous Iran appeasement was Obama/Biden. What rock were you living under?

Expand full comment

Harris said nothing of substance was not fact checked and claimed without any basis that 1/6 was a greater catastrophe than 9/11 or Pearl Harbor and defended the abandonment of Afghanistan That is the bottom line of a debate that does not look it will move the proverbial needle

Expand full comment

The piece on CUNY is horrifying. Eric Adams received undeserved praise from the Jewish community for his hollow words despite his complete inaction against the violent Hamasniks. Now his close associates are being investigated by the FBI. Kathy Hochul, the accidental governor of NY, is paralyzed by fear and incompetence. The result is the unpunished terror at CUNY.

Expand full comment

CUNY had been going downhill and moving to the far left since it has adopted open admissions

Expand full comment

That’s what 100% DEI admissions looks like.

Expand full comment
Sep 11·edited Sep 11

I strongly disagree with the framing of the fact-checking. When you referee a game, you might miss if someone travels, but if they pick up the ball and just blatantly carry it down the court, you have to make that call. The corrections were strongly warranted and needed because the lies were blatant fabrications, not just statements missing context.

On abortion in Minnesota, I looked up the numbers. Only 2 abortions happened after 25 weeks, and none after 30 weeks in 2022. https://www.house.mn.gov/hrd/bs/93/hf0091.pdf. I would agree that restricting late stage abortion is a morally strong policy, but it won't really impact things... because late stage abortions are not happening. It's not outrageous to correct extreme, fear mongering statements that are patently untrue. If he'd said that Minnesota doesn't mandate infants who survive abortions receive life-saving care, he wouldn't have been fact checked. But what he said was that 9 month old babies are being executed after birth. No journalist worth their salt should let that statement slide, in a debate or elsewhere.

By contrast, the "howler" you describe from Harris is a direct quote from Trump, which we've all seen on video. You can debate about the context, no one disputes he said there were some very bad people out there just before the statement in question. But "very fine people on both sides" still gives me distaste, as to me it indicates Trump wanted to have it both ways... to distance himself from white supremacists without alienating them with stronger language of condemnation. She didn't even say he was saying white supremacists were very fine people... that might have been worth correcting. She said "remember Charlottesville? white supremacists marched there and he said there were very fine people on both sides." This is not even on the same level as stating that 9-month old babies are being murdered, or that migrants are stealing people's pets to eat them.

Not sure The Daily Wire is the best source of truth on how many lies were told by each candidate.

Don't love the motivated reasoning from The Scroll. I expect more.

Expand full comment

One cannot sit on two chairs with one tuhes. It was clear that Harris was implying that Trump was a racist. There is literally zero evidence that Trump is indeed a racist.

However there is plenty of evidence that Harris Biden administration is racist toward Jews.

Just one example - replace Hillel Jews with black Americans. There is absolutely no doubt that FBI would locate and put in solitary confinement without trial every single kufiah wearing scumbag threating the group.

Expand full comment

The fans of the loser of the debate cry that the moderators were biased. Of course. But it’s true….SQUAAWK! Really, they were so unfair…SQUAAWK!

Expand full comment

Harris said zero of substance in her remarks which struck me as being memorized talking points Her record as a radical and VP and who she has appointed for advisors on the Middle East speak volumes as to what are her views and policies

Expand full comment

So you liked Harris' performance better. That is fine. Hopefully you are not a self hating Jew who votes for an openly antisemitic candidate.

Let's say Harris won the debate. Won on what though? Did she discuss any of her policies? Did she talk about her achievements as a VP?

Expand full comment

Self-hating Jew…I don’t know what gives people the chutzpah to use such language. As for me, I will vote by my conscience for America, Israel, and our future. You worry about your own vote. My real point is that we should not delude ourselves that Trump is some better option for Jews or for America.

Expand full comment

Trump is not a savior but he did move the embassy. Israel was prosperous and was not fighting a war on 7 fronts. It was also fairly safe to be a Jew in NY.

Expand full comment