I harbor zero qualms about violating "presidential norms" when it comes to Trump. Just returning the favor (to him).

A Trump and Biden debate will proceed very much like last time. Bombastic immigration fearmongering and a long line of lies from Trump, but now with promises to pardon the J6'ers sprinkled in, and you have to wonder why he still speaks in vague generalities when it comes to policy while his people are fleshing out the most fascist shit ever conceived for the American executive branch. But hey, maybe this time Trump won't be able to attempt giving Joe Biden covid.

There isn't really anything to debate, and the fact that we're asking an almost decent president to debate the worst shitbag president possibly ever is a farce. And mainstream media, jones-ing to author another boilerplate neck-and-neck horserace election narrative, has earned a lot of the blame by both-sides'ing sleepy joe with a traitorous wretch of a dirtbag human being. It's hard not to see this as yet another installation in the ongoing saga.

Biden even signaling agreement to take the debate is a mistake, imo, and legitimizes Trump regardless of who "wins" the debate, because on right-wing media, Trump wins everything. Don't give him anything. And centrist/liberal media's usually a crapshoot for Biden, too. Obviously, if he's gonna engage, I hope Biden comes right out and calls Trump a traitorous asswipe to Trump's face (he won't though), not because I think it'll really change peoples' minds or because it's the right thing to do, but because BIden's just gonna be slandered regardless. Was there any credit given for Biden's generally good state of the union address in right-wing media? Nope, just accusations that he must've done cocaine.

I hope Biden's up for this. I have my doubts.

More broadly, this debate bro-ification of our political scene is generally terrible. It's a tactic benefiting people skilled in rhetoric and presentation (physical included), often over substance, and it favors moneyed interests legitimizing bullshit with high production quality. Like.. Dear Joe Rogan, it isn't my opinion that people landed on the moon, or that the election wasn't stolen. Just like my belief that Trump "is a traitor" isn't something I've picked up from establishment democratic talking points. It is a fact. A straight up fucking fact.

Look, I'm all for subverting the establishment, but Trump ain't it. As for RFK Jr.? Nah, I don't take anti-vaxxers seriously, sorry.