This headline makes me happy: Poll: Voters Think Trump Is More Likely to Win the Debates

[rpannier]

If it appears to break even at the debates Biden wins in the eyes of the public.
If Biden bests Trump then it is especially good for Biden
If he stumbles at bit, no one is surprised

USA Today/Suffolk 47% of voters expect Donald Trump to win the debates, and 41% expect Joe Biden to win

[GeorgiaPeanut]

1. Yeah ... raise those expectations ... raise them sky high

A fall from there is not survivable.

[still_one]

2. Meaningless poll

[rpannier]

5. Disagree

Anyone old enough to remember 1980, when the consensus was Carter would mop the floor with Reagan
Reagan looked really good; he was charming, funny and functioning
He was viewed by the majority of the voting public as acceptable as president

[brush]

13. Well, trump is not winning any debate. Biden will beat him...

like he did Sanders in the primary. And remember, he made Paul Ryan look like a silly school boy in the 21012 VP debate.

Have people forgotten already how was a walking, lying disaster in all those pandemic task force appearance—you know with the "inject Lysol" foolishness, and the "shin a light into the body" to wipe out the virus. Who the hell thinks that lying chum us going to win?

There won't be in teleprompter for him to read off of. The moderators aren't going to tailor their questions to suit trump.

[LakeArenal]

3. Dump will shit his pants in a debate with Joe.

If there is even one. Trump talks big and runs away.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

4. The stupidity of our citizenry is truly breathtaking....... nt

[rpannier]

6. Yes and No

In this case, for the last several months the public has been inundated with stories, hypothesis, etc that Biden is not cognitively all there.
Anyone in advertising will tell you, repeat it enough and people will start to believe it
It's actually not a bad thing. Sometimes it's best to be the underdog in the eyes of the public

[Thekaspervote]

7. Debates do NOTHING to change voters minds. Do an internet search you'll come up with a page

Of hits all in agreement

[JI7]

12. Debates were why Kerry came as close as he did in 2004 after media spent the entire campaign

on swift boat liars. It's true that it was not enough in the end but I blame blackwell for some of that. I know there aren't as many undecideds this time. But it's more about actually getting all the votes out for Biden. Not really about changing minds as much as getting them out there to vote.

And then there was Biden kicking Ryan's ass after the bad performance by Obama in the first debate with Romney. I know there was more to it than this.

But every little thing matters.

[NCjack]

8. If there is fact checking, Trump definitely loses.

[Vivienne235729]

9. I know this is breaking w tradition, but these are unprecedented times

but I don't think Biden should debate the likes of Trump. Mainly bc Trump doesn't debate. He can barely spit out a coherent thought. I just don't want Biden to waste his time in a stage w a caged animal pacing back and forth.

[Awsi Dooger]

10. Biden just needs to hang in there

I agree it is a positive.

I would suggest Biden needs a strong voice. He summons that when he gets angry or energized. These days his normal voice is not as authoritative as 8-12 years ago. But he can pick it up when needed. His advisors need to tell Biden it is needed at the first debate.

Independents expect Biden to win the debates. I noted that from this poll yesterday. Something like 47-37 but that could be wrong.

[Takket]

11. stunned by that.......

frankly i'm beyond shocked that drumpf's campaign actually wants the debates. what the hell is he going to say when he actually gets pushed out of the carefully controlled propaganda interviews he gets to script with fox?

i don't see how biden does anything but crush him. one this is for sure, drumpf will spend the whole time trying to make biden angry so he can say he is senile. Biden has to resist that and just stick to the issues.

[ego_nation]

14. Debates are easy to win

if truth and logic do not matter for anything.