Biden debate strategy?

[Pantagruel]

Considerations:

Biden is a better debater, you would think he'd want as many as possible? Logically Trump would avoid debating but it's Trump and his ego and illusions in play here.
OTOH, with a big lead in the polls, why give Trump a chance to get lucky if JB makes an unfortunate comment?
How do we get a fact check embedded in the debate, can only help JB?

Yesterday Trump asked to add a fourth debate, IMHO, JB should agree only if he gets a fact check concession.
Would not be surprised if we get zero debates after months of Trump posturing, don't really believe he wants to get in the ring with JB.

[mucifer]

1. Debates tend to benefit the candidate behind in the polls

[Pantagruel]

7. Agree

Debates are crucial in catching up if you trail in the polls.
Question becomes , how can JB leverage his lead to get advantageous debate formats like fact check?

[fleur-de-lisa]

15. But Dump can't speak off the cuff without going into a racist, narcissitic screed.

He will fuck any debate up . . . royally.

[Mike 03]

2. I don't know about the number of debates.

If I were advising Biden, I'd coach him to talk past Trump and directly to the audience, and to speak of Trump in the third person unless the debate rules specified otherwise. Almost like he's speaking about the coronavirus.

I think Trump is bluffing about wanting four debates. I'll be surprised if he does two.

[Arazi]

5. Trump believes he crushed Hillary in the debates. He's a raging malignant narcissist

Who craves the spotlight. He's going to fight hard for four debates imo

[yortsed snacilbuper]

3. I think Joe will win,

without doing any debates.

[SoonerPride]

4. No additional debates.

No debates where trump can meander around the stage.

Stand at your podium and answer questions from moderators.

The mic goes off 15 seconds after your allotted time period to answer a question. You cannot just stand there and ramble and dissemble and bullshit for minutes on end.

And when you lie a buzzer goes off and your time is over.

[Pantagruel]

6. Like the mic shut off idea

Would Trump agree, I doubt it?

[Yavin4]

16. Trump will break the buzzer. n/t

[backscatter712]

8. I remember Biden eating Paul Ryan for breakfast in the VP debate in 2012.

That was fun to watch!

Everyone thinks Biden's slow and senile, but if you saw that 2012 debate, you have an idea what he's really capable of.

So.

Strategy for Biden would be to continue to play it cool, continue to let Trump hang himself, continue to lead Trump & his bleach-drinkers to believe all they'll see is "Sleepy Joe".

Then when the debate comes, SURPRISE, MOTHERFUCKER! Repeat of his 2012 performance! While Trump struggles with words with more than one syllable.

[PTWB]

11. It's 8 years later ...

I loved Biden in 2012 but he’s definitely lost some of his cutting edge since then. Don’t get me wrong, he’s going to do great, but a lot can change in 8 years at his age.

[Music Man]

9. Joe Biden at least had the experience of debating Sarah Palin.

So trying to have a somewhat normal conversation with an unconventional, off-the-rails personality is something he's navigated before.

Also, Biden almost single-handedly changed the trajectory of the 2012 election with the VP debate. Obama did not do well in the first debate with Romney, and many Democrats were becoming nervous in those days about Obama's re-election. Biden's takedown of Paul Ryan set the campaign back on course.

The best bet is for Joe to just be himself. If he's over-handled, he won't come across right. He is so good at delivering an attack with a smile, easily going into "quiet Joe" voice and then knowing when to bring the fiery rhetoric. As long as he's got his facts straight and knows his stuff well enough to counteract Trump's bullshit on the spot, he will do well.

Speak from the heart, Joe

[LakeArenal]

10. I have faith in Joe others seem not to have.

Joe will out debate dump like HC was unable to. New rules will be in place.
Joe will win one to ten debates.

The world is aware of Dump’s debate style.
Including the whole Biden team. Attacks, name calling, no substance, air sucking ego, lies and fantasy. Democrats have had four years to prepare a strategy. I believe
they have one.

This is not 2016 2.0.

[Gothmog]

12. Biden does not need more debates

At his current rate of decline, trump will not be able to stand on a stage long enough to debate. The Biden team had a great response to trump and I think that there is no need for more debates

Link to tweet

[Pantagruel]

13. Offer to trade an extra debate

for a fact check feature. Trump probably declines but the author of endless lies looks guilty doing so. Trump can't handle truth.

[Under The Radar]

14. Debates to Trump are Fake wrestling press conferences

The Debates will be ugly and Trumps team knows that the only way to score points are with insults. He will attack the moderator as well as his opponent in attempts to intimidate them and talk over them when he is being fact checked. He will be looking for opportunities to rally his wrestling loving base in the crowd with screams and whistles, cause that is what wins debates and elections in his mind.
Trump doesn’t have the discipline to follow rules and procedures and certainly doesn’t respect anyone else involved. It could take him out of his element if there were no live audience though.

[Dirty Socialist]

17. If Trump resorts to name calling

Biden should then refer to Trump as “Pele” (the caddies’ nickname) because of Trump’s cheating at golf. Biden should bait Trump, then watch Trump blow up.

[beaglelover]

18. I really don't see a need for debates this election cycle.

No one is going to change their mind based on a debate.