I have to believe Chris Wallace was home-schooled

[misanthrope]

If he had been in a standard elementary school, he would have known how to handle what Donald Trump was dishing out tonight. A moderator is like a teacher: it's up to them to set the tone, to keep things on course, and to tamp down disruptive behavior before it snowballs.

When Trump grew combative with Wallace in the first half-hour, the moderator should have seized control. His vocal tone should have changed, become more stern and commanding. If that failed, stand up behind the desk to admonish the unruly participant. If that fails, step from behind the desk and toward the uncooperative party, explicitly condemning the unwanted behavior.

Anything beyond that would have warranted severe measures. While Wallace couldn't have threatened Trump with a chat in the hallway (followed by a trip to the principal's office) he could have threatened to dock Trump's allotted time or call an end to the entire debacle.

Wallace was awful. All Trump knows is fear because he's incapable of respect. The moderator needs to be someone who scares him.

[Hoyt]

1. Thought he asked good questions and allowed trump to show his ass.

Sure it wasn’t his intention, but I’m fine with that. The questions weren’t softballs to trump that other FOXers would have asked.

trump is always a blustering bully, knows no other way.

[TheBlackAdder]

16. The first 5 minutes, you could see that Trump thought both Biden & Wallace were out to get him! 😂

[SharonAnn]

2. Trump is the problem. He won't allow moderator to moderate.

All moderators get blamed but it’s not them, it’s Trump.

As long as they can’t cut off his mike, Trump wins. Always.

[Bayard]

3. The teacher should have rapped his knuckles with a ruler.

Short of that, a time out. "Mr. trump, if you are going to continue to interrupt the class, you can wait outside in the hall".

[Earthshine2]

4. Wallace was intimidated by Trump. W's voice was nervously wavering.

Shame on Wallace for not anticipating this.

[Sogo]

5. I don't think anyone without professional psych ward expertise could have controlled the situation.

[RockCreek]

9. Agree 100!!

Or experience as a teacher in a school for behaviorally and emotionally disturbed kids.

[mysteryowl]

6. I don't think any moderator could have handled the dictator

Although, they should have shut off the dictator's mic from time to time.

[kurtcagle]

7. Wallace won't come out of this unscathed, but

I think he had generally decent questions and had Trump actually played by the rules, it would have been an okay, but not great, debate. The problem was that Trump can't play by the rules. People bring up the narcissism, but Trump's actually as much an anti-social personality as anything. He has come to realize that when he plays by the rules, he loses, and the only way that he can control the situation for his benefit is to promise one thing and do another. He likes being bad, has no ability to feel compassion or remorse, and refuses to abide by society's dictates. He lies because it allows him to control the narrative and to gaslight people.

Unfortunately, that is now playing to his detriment. One of the big points that Biden did manage to get through in this disaster was the fact that Trump not only lacked a plan, he had no real idea how to make one - or to lead an administration to make one. Biden may have had a critical role in making them - and his assertion that he WAS his party tonight, for all intents, was critical (and I suspect may get a fair amount of air time in the next few days) - but it was definitely a collective effort by a lot of very knowledgeable experts. Trump is unable to do that, and so his "plans" are all laughably shallow, incomplete, and unworkable, but he doesn't recognize that they are bad because it's how he believes that government works.

[unblock]

8. The real problem is that journalists can be manipulated by presidents

The candidates and presidents with integrity accept journalists who ask tough questions, but people like Donnie (that is to say, republicans) reward and punish journalists based on how fawning or critical their coverage is.

Consequently, debate moderators walk a line trying to appear professional, neutral, and sometimes a bit tough, but without getting on the bad side of the current president or new president.

As a result, it's the rare moderator who can step in and take charge and put a candidate in their place.

It's a problem in general, but especially a problem with someone like donnie who has corrupted presidential news coverage so much.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

10. Hay! Let's leave Homeschooling out of it

Some of us were "home-schooled", and could have done a better job of being moderator.

[PCIntern]

14. Do you know that your subject line is the funniest I've seen here in years?

[Nevilledog]

19. *snicker*

[JI7]

11. I wonder what that Australian Reporter that recently questioned Sarah

Huckabee Sanders would have done . I think one if the first problems Wallace made was deciding he will not fact check.

[treestar]

12. Trump does act like a second grader

That's the thing - reporteres normally are dealing with adults, so they don't need class teacher skills. With Trump, you do.

[DeminPennswoods]

13. Wallace did try to get control

but as Mary Trump pointed out in her book, Trump has never faced any consequences for anything he's ever done. So why should he abide by rules in a debate now? I can't think of a journalist or news anchor who could've done better, not even Hannity. I don't know, maybe the Rude Pundit...

MSNBC was discussing the idea of someone having a mic "kill switch", but Plouffe or Mike Murphy said the debate commission negotiates the rules and cutting off a candidate's mic isn't one of them.

[thesquanderer]

15. re: "he could have threatened to dock Trump's allotted time or call an end to the entire debacle."

I don't think he had that power, within the agreed upon rules.

[Grammy23]

17. So maybe it should be written into the rules that

if you are called out for interrupting or breaking other rules more than once, you will face consequences, such as losing time or having your microphone muted when it is your opponent’s turn to speak. The point is made that tRump has never faced consequences for his actions. So make him have consequences. If he still insists on breaking rules the viewers will see that. He is a man who cannot be shamed or tamed and voters need to see how out of control he is. This is how he usually behaves behind closed doors and why he is so disrespected around the world. Voters need to know this.

[thesquanderer]

18. If the rules for these debates have already been agreed to...

Last edited Wed Sep 30, 2020, 02:04 PM - Edit history (1)

...Trump will not permit a change to his detriment. No change will happen unless agreed to by both parties. This is what they signed off on, I'm afraid this is what we have.

But maybe there WILL be consequences for Trump. Let's watch those post debate poll numbers...

ETA: Or maybe there is some leeway for rules adjustment after all, see https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142592615