"Presidential" Debate, 2024

Already a decided voter, I was looking for reassurance, affirmation, and hope at the beginning of last night's debate.  I already knew that both candidates were old, white, men. I knew one was a convicted felon and had been a lifelong grifter.  I knew one had a stutter, a man who has spent over half his life in public service. One is the embodiment of the textbook definition of a narcissist, and the other is practiced in behaving diplomatically.  One talks HIS talk, while the other aspires to walk THE walk.

It didn't take long for the President to show his age. This isn't a criticism.  He's eighty-one, and like all of us, will only continue to get older.  His mobility, appearance, and mental faculties affirm that he's no spring chicken.  As always, his opponent's age was overshadowed by his perpetual need to play the victim while simultaneously boasting about how he's the "best." Me-me-me, I-I-I, there is no room for anyone else on his stage. One man tried to speak to and for the People, while the other spoke about himself and his greatness and how horrible our country is. None of the disparity between the two men was a shock to me. 

But I did become increasingly bothered as the debate lurched onward. Oh yes.

There was no real-time fact-checking.

When the President had the opportunity to rally around women, our human rights and autonomy, he quickly pivoted to immigration, botching both talking points.  Seriously, who coached him to do that?  He could have taken the time to speak to every woman, wife, daughter, aunt, grandmother, godmother, stay-at-home mom, and employee in one fell swoop but instead plopped a story about a female child victim onto the lectern and into the camera lens. We already know many of us have been victims.

Neither moderator followed up "Black jobs" and "Hispanic jobs" with a request for further explanation.  I had to remind myself that the two news reporters (journalists?) weren't looking for the truth; they simply signed on to ask questions.  Getting a liar to speak about the foundational pieces behind his "truth" is a skill and strategy that helps us to be better informed. 

The President was likely coached to appear tough, but tried to do it via name-calling. "Whiner!"  And "Loser" wasn't interpreted by viewers/listeners as "the-candidate-who-didn't-win-the-last-election." 

While his love, commitment, and ferocity as a parent remained consistent, how wonderful it would have been to have seen that fire appear elsewhere.  Well, anywhere other... than... g-o-l-f.  The President was successfully baited into verbal sparring over the topic of golf. 

Golf. 

I know which vote is the correct one for our country during this election, and after last night I'm also keenly aware of what our country needs to do for the future.  Old, white-guys-only isn't going to cut it anymore. 

*****

I'll be stress-cleaning and crocheting today.