Daily Times

Trump’s overstatements pitted against Biden’s faltering speech. The first public debate ahead of the much-awaited presidential elections in the US saw the two main contenders (the oldest in the democratic history of the country) clash over issues like migration and abortion.

On one end of the podium, Republican Donald Trump continued to sway over the audience with a mesmerising dance of horrid allegations, and caustic criticism of his opponent as a tight-lipped incumbent president kept losing his train of thought. Things have come to a point that Democrats are openly questioning the future of Joe Biden in the presidential race. Except for one or two occasions where he managed to push back against “Trump Facts”, Mr Biden failed to effectively communicate his ideas; allowing his predecessor to dominate the debate with his aggressive demeanour.

To see two veteran politicians turn an important platform reserved for candidates to discuss their policies for the nation into a chaotic shouting match filled with personal attacks and insults was a miserable commentary on the state of democracy in the free world’s torch bearer.

Neither one of them really knew what he was talking about. Has America solved every single crisis plaguing its identity – one of the largest illegal populations on its land and the perpetual fight between supposed morality and fundamental liberties for women – that the moderator allowed the debate to descend into a free-for-all of insults and interruptions? Did golf rank higher on the priorities list than gun violence?

The wrenching debate would go down in the collective memory as a nightmare no American wishes to live through again. Before the two parties said to be true representatives of more than 340 million people are invited to lock horns again, they would do well to reflect on their arguments and strategies for the next four years.

How should the voters choose between a sorry record for the presidency and a convicted felon believing himself to be above the law? *