At Trump Townhall, Guthrie Steps In as Debate Opponent

[Geee]

Real Clear Politics

 

NBC employees seethed that they had agreed to host a Trump townhall in the same hour that ABC was hosting a similar Biden event. It was counterprograming, they complained, a clear attempt by the incumbent to force a split-screen moment and pull the eyeballs of the electorate away from the Democratic challenger.

 

They were not alone, and others went public with that sentiment. Actors and producers and on-air talent put their frustration to paper in an open letter to NBC asking the network to “air the president’s town hall either before or after Joe Biden’s so that American voters can have the opportunity to watch both.”

NBC executives didn’t budge. But while Trump got half the national spotlight, Savannah Guthrie made sure he paid for it with sharp questions that kept coming, one after the other.

Did he have any remaining COVID symptoms? Did he ever develop a case of pneumonia? Did he take a coronavirus test before the debate with Biden as required by the Commission on Presidential Debates?

 

Trump said he is symptom-free at the moment, said he didn’t “do too much asking” about his chest X-rays while a patient at Walter Reed medical center, and said he wasn’t sure if he had or hadn’t tested before the debate: “The doctor has very accurate information -- if you are president, you have a lot of doctors you're surrounded by -- I was in great shape for the debate, and sometime after the debate, I tested positive.”

Why hadn’t he condemned white supremacy on the debate stage?

Trump said he did condemn white supremacy on stage and always has “denounced white supremacy” and then complained that the press “always starts off with the question.” Interrupting as Guthrie tried a follow-up, the exasperated president asked, “Are you listening? I denounce white supremacy!”

Why won’t he condemn Q-Anon for spreading a conspiracy theory about satanic cult of pedophiles controlling the Democratic Party?  

[Geee]

At Townhall, Biden Channels Mr. Rogers

One of the most chaotic news cycles in an election season full of them is coming to an end this week with Democrats embracing their presidential nominee as a reassuring Mr. Rogers while the other side is casting him as the ringleader of a crime family.

Yes, this could be the final gasp of campaign 2020, where the split-screen image America voters are watching is as radically divergent as it can get.

 

President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden were supposed to debate each other Thursday night. When that event fell apart over Trump’s refusal to engage his opponent virtually after being diagnosed with COVID-19, both candidates accepted offers from major broadcast networks to participate in townhalls airing at the same time.

The switch turned out to be a net positive for Biden when it comes to displaying his skill at talking calmly with voters – even those expressing differences with him. But it wasn’t a slam dunk by any means. His performance was also marred by some wildly uneven moments and windy responses from him, along with an outright refusal to answer whether he supports packing the Supreme Court -- though promising he would do so before Nov. 3.

Throughout the dueling forums, Twitter lit up with Biden supporters’ sharply contrasting the calm and collegial tone of the ABC townhall hosted by George Stephanopoulos with the combative faceoff between Trump and NBC host Savannah Guthrie before she turned to voters in the audience for questions.

[Geee]

Dueling Townhalls: Trump Tangles With Hostile Moderator While Biden Is Lobbed Softballs

Democratic presidential nomineeJoe Biden said voters deserve to know his stance on Supreme Court packing before the election, while President Trump faced a grilling by NBC on the coronavirus, taxes and white supremacy in dueling town halls Thursday night. 

Biden, the former vice president, signaled at an ABC News town hall that he'd announce his stance on court-packing after the Senate votes on Trump's nomination of Amy Coney Barrett and before the Nov. 3 election.

The Democratic presidential nominee reiterated his position from the presidential primaries that “I have not been a fan of court packing"  but reversed course on his previously tight-lipped stance on whether he'd try to expand the number of justices on the court to combat a conservative majority.

Voters “do have a right to know where I stand," Biden said.

 

Meanwhile on NBC News, Trump faced tough questioning on issues such as whether he has a replacement for Obamacare, his handling of the coronavirus and a potential peaceful transfer of power.

"Will you accept the results of the election?" NBC News' Savannah Guthrie asked Trump. "You're own FBI director says there is no evidence of voter fraud."

"Then he's not doing his job," Trump said  But "the answer is yes, I will."

[Valin]

52 minutes ago, Geee said:

Real Clear Politics

 

NBC employees seethed that they had agreed to host a Trump townhall in the same hour that ABC was hosting a similar Biden event. It was counterprograming, they complained, a clear attempt by the incumbent to force a split-screen moment and pull the eyeballs of the electorate away from the Democratic challenger.

 

They were not alone, and others went public with that sentiment. Actors and producers and on-air talent put their frustration to paper in an open letter to NBC asking the network to “air the president’s town hall either before or after Joe Biden’s so that American voters can have the opportunity to watch both.”

NBC executives didn’t budge. But while Trump got half the national spotlight, Savannah Guthrie made sure he paid for it with sharp questions that kept coming, one after the other.

Did he have any remaining COVID symptoms? Did he ever develop a case of pneumonia? Did he take a coronavirus test before the debate with Biden as required by the Commission on Presidential Debates?

 

Trump said he is symptom-free at the moment, said he didn’t “do too much asking” about his chest X-rays while a patient at Walter Reed medical center, and said he wasn’t sure if he had or hadn’t tested before the debate: “The doctor has very accurate information -- if you are president, you have a lot of doctors you're surrounded by -- I was in great shape for the debate, and sometime after the debate, I tested positive.”

Why hadn’t he condemned white supremacy on the debate stage?

Trump said he did condemn white supremacy on stage and always has “denounced white supremacy” and then complained that the press “always starts off with the question.” Interrupting as Guthrie tried a follow-up, the exasperated president asked, “Are you listening? I denounce white supremacy!”

Why won’t he condemn Q-Anon for spreading a conspiracy theory about satanic cult of pedophiles controlling the Democratic Party?  

I'm not saying Savannah Guthrie is a silly bimbet who's only qualifications are she looks good on TV and can read...well actually That is what I'm saying.

[Valin]