Trump campaign plays up Biden's skills ahead of Cleveland debate: 'He's actually quite good'

[sabra]

Source: The Hill

...

With the first presidential debates slated for Sept. 29 in Cleveland, the Trump campaign's communications director on Monday told Fox News that former vice president “knows his way” around the debate stage after 47 years in politics.

“Joe Biden has been a Washington politician for 47 years, he spent decades in the Senate where all they do is debate, he was vice president twice, and debated on the national stage in each of those races, and did very well,” Trump campaign Communications Director Tim Murtaugh said in an appearance on "Fox & Friends First."

...

“I don’t know if he’s all there, but I think he’s a professional,” Trump said in a phone call later on Monday on "Fox and Friends."

“I have to assume that he is a professional and that he can debate," Trump said, adding he believes Biden "is going to do great."

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/media/517412-trump-campaign-plays-up-bidens-skills-ahead-of-cleveland-debate-hes-actually

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[Arkansas Granny]

1. Call me suspicious, but I don't like the sound of this. What kind of underhanded trick

are they planning now?

[Blasphemer]

3. Trying to change expectations...

All the nonsense about Biden having dementia had the opposite of the intended effect. He got raves after his DNC performance even among Republican commentators.

[soothsayer]

8. This

[Statistical]

5. Lowering expectations. Everyone does it every year.

That way if Trump even manages to come close to holding his own they can chalk it up as a win.

The only thing I am surprised about is Trump having the discipline to keep his ego in check long enough to make this happen.

[Aristus]

15. It's not underhanded. It's a pretty common tactic.

Play up the expectations of your opponent so the slightest little gaffe will be trumpeted as a 'bad night' for the debater.

They used to play down expectations. Then, when the opponent didn't actually shit himself during the debate, his handlers would call it 'exceeding expectations' and call it a debate win.

[Laelth]

2. Lowering expectations for Trump.

I can’t blame them. I would do the same. The problem is that they’ve been arguing, for over a year, that Joe is “sleepy,” senile, and feeble. These two arguments contradict, so I don’t think that the current “Joe is a master debater” argument will go very far.



-Laelth

[Gamecock Lefty]

4. I'm with you, Arkansas!

Look, we've all learned never to trust what Republicans say, but that goes doubly a month before the election.

Their intent is NEVER honorable!!!

[keithbvadu2]

6. But Donald's claim to greatness was that he is not a professional politician.

But Donald's claim to greatness was that he is not a professional politician.

Now he is using that as an excuse.

[Roc2020]

7. They expect a royal arse whupping from Biden

So they are putting it out there that he is a professional and that's what he is supposed to do. Playing down expectations for Trump.

[soothsayer]

9. Bwahaha

[qazplm135]

10. I suspect someone realized

the stupidity of the whole Biden is senile and barely knows where he is bar lowering that they had been doing up til now.
Plus, it clearly wasn't working anyways.

So now they are back to, oh he'll do great because he's an insider for 47 years and I'm just a regular guy.

Thing is, that works when you are just a nominee running, much less so when you've been President for four years.

[cyndensco]

11. The bastard is SO pathetic.

Yesterday Biden needed to shoot performance drugs in his butt, today he is going to do great.

Please let this shit end!

[aggiesal]

12. ByeDon is going to kick Pendejo45's A$$ ! ...

We should have a drinking party where every time Pendejo45 calls Biden with some disparaging name, we take a drink.

We could be drunk by the second question.

[Illumination]

13. It's been proven who's "not all there". It's NOT Biden. It's the idiot that cheated to get where

he is today...

[iluvtennis]

14. Don the Con trying to reset expectations of the inadequate debate he (trump) will provide. nt

[SergeStorms]

17. Trump will do his usual...

filibuster of lies, lies, and more lies, peppered with enough nonsensical word salad to make it sound as if he actually said something . It always works like a charm on his cult. I'm sure they're preparing Joe thoroughly for Dump's barrage of bullshit though.

[jorgevlorgan]

16. If Biden does half as good as Clinton did in the debates

I am almost certain he will in this election. The sexist double standards with Clinton don't apply in this election, and people will overlook any attack Trump tries to stick on Biden.