Moderator Chris Wallace criticized as Trump derails debate

[Illage Vidiot]

Source: The Guardian

Daniel Strauss
Wed 30 Sep 2020 04.21 BST

The Fox News host Chris Wallace faced much criticism as he struggled to referee the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden on Tuesday night.

For most of the event, Trump talked over Biden and Wallace failed to keep the president patient for his chance to talk. At a few other moments, the Democratic challenger’s scowls and snickering at the president interrupted Trump’s comments.

Many viewers blamed Wallace, though it was Trump who most often broke the agreed rules of the debate, refused to stick to his own speaking time, and steamrollered over both other men.

“That was a hot mess, inside a dumpster fire, inside a train wreck,” said CNN’s chief Washington correspondent, Jake Tapper. “That was the worst debate I have ever seen. In fact, it wasn’t even a debate. It was a disgrace, and it’s primarily because of President Trump.”

“That was the worst presidential debate I have ever seen in my life,” said ABC political anchor George Stephanopoulos.


Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/sep/29/chris-wallace-debate-biden-trump-moderator

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You can take the mod out of FUX Noise, but you can't take FUX Noise out of the mod.

[JoeOtterbein]

1. Wallace was...

...worthless!

[PJMcK]

8. You're right!

The next moderator should have a taser. Every time a candidate violates the rules, they get a shot.

What d'ya think?

(wink)

Seriously, what could Wallace do? Trump is uncontrollable.

[FakeNoose]

19. I prefer the electric shock collars

IDK they seem to work pretty well on dogs.

[Layzeebeaver]

29. A shock suit...

That is wired up to their microphone and is triggered when they speak out of tune.

[OAITW r.2.0]

2. He could not control the "debate".

He looked pretty small tonight.

[SharonAnn]

3. All moderators of debates with Trump as a participant get blamed. It's not them!

It’s Trump!
It’s not the moderator!

[TwilightZone]

5. In this case, it was some of each.

Wallace waited much too long to try to do anything about Trump.

But I'd also argue that I don't think anyone could control Trump in this format.

[marble falls]

41. Turn off his mike?

[TwilightZone]

42. Can't.

Both camps have to agree to a rule change and Trump clearly won't agree since chaos is his entire debate strategy.

[marble falls]

43. Turn off the mike. Trump has the choice of being the one who runs from debating ...

either way its a win for Joe.

[TwilightZone]

44. Sure, validate his bullshit about the moderators being against him.

As it stands, he looks like the villain. Cut his mike when both camps and the commission have agreed not to, and you'd likely validate his bullshit claims in the minds of some voters.

[Warpy]

16. It's also the debate rules

which allow Dumdum to jabber at will so that his opponent can't be heard at all. That was the point. Drown the other guy out, he wins.

Whether this will generate any extra votes for the blustering bully remains to be seen.

Biden had enough fight that he didn't look weak. That's the good part.

[summer_in_TX]

22. Yep.

Trump despises limits and rules. He's the kind of person teachers would have marked as incorrigible. And not in a charming way.

[Rebl2]

45. I agree with

you. Trump is impossible. They should have cut his mic and then if that didn’t work, then tell him the debate is over for him and to please leave the stage. If he refuses, hall him off stage. Then continue on with Biden. Trump ignored the rules of the debate, so they should have disqualified him and told him to leave the stage.

[They_Live]

46. I kept hoping

for a trap door to open beneath Trump's feet.

[PJMcK]

4. Sorry, but I'll give Wallace a pass

Who in the world could possibly control Trump?

Really.

[underpants]

14. That's what I said below

Trump brought his own rope and shovel. Not much Wallace could do.

[Cha]

26. Good way to frame it.. & petard.

[minidriver]

18. Putin

He keeps drumpf nice and quiet and compliant.

[Cozmo]

6. Meanwhile MSM is being or so solicitous of that asshole!

They gave us this president. Who in their right mind would ever think that this debate was a closes call? Ya know who, MSM that's who. Fuck 'em!

[pazzyanne]

7. To control the debate tonight, Wallace would have had to use a whip and chair!

That was not a debate, it was the pResident fully out of control!

[tonekat]

9. I kept thinking of where Wallace's...

...paycheck comes from.

[Hoyt]

10. I think he showed trump for what he is. Likely not intentional, but don't

think trump looked good to anyone but ignorant white wingers.

[IcyPeas]

47. I agree with you - this is who trump is.

I think Wallace did try a number of times to shut the president up but he just wouldn't.

[Bayard]

11. I did not see Biden snickering at all

I saw him grinning incredulously, I saw him shaking his head in disgust. No snickering.

Wallace was pitiful. Steve Scully and Kristen Welker are moderators for next two. I'm not familiar with either one. But I'm sure trumpass will be much worse with a woman.

No more of this--Mr. President, please, business. Make him stand in the corner if he can't play nice. He does not deserve respect when he has no respect for anyone else, or the process.

Why are they only having one moderator per debate? That's stupid.

[Layzeebeaver]

30. Institute the Cones oF Silence!

Only raise the one covering the active speaker.

[Nay]

38. All of this is solved simply by having a mike kill switch. But they won't use one.

The question is: why not? It's perfectly acceptable to cut off a rude person who refuses to let another speak when his turn is over. If a kill switch is the only way to shut a rude person up, use it, ffs. Biden should demand one, and demand that he and Trump have an equal amount of time to speak. Enforced. Use timers that the audience can see. And a kill switch.

[underpants]

12. The right is going to be furious with him.

He asked Trump several tough questions to start segments. Real stuff that’s part of Trump’s horrific record. He fact checked him with the questions from what I saw.

Yes he lost control but there’s no way to control someone like that. A screaming match wouldn’t have been any better. Trump screwed up bad don’t get me wrong and I think at some point Wallace realized there was little he could do.

I’ve seen quite a few tweets already ripping Wallace. It’s bizarro world there and tomorrow they will be told that it was an team attack on Trump someone losing it in public. Plus Trump was just repeating talk radio crap that’s dogma to that world.

[LeftInTX]

23. Wallace ain't no Hannity or Tucker or Lou Dobbs

He's not a right wing hero. Isn't he mostly the Sunday morning guy at Fox?

[underpants]

24. Yes Sunday morning

He’s pretty much the elder statesmen there now.

[yaesu]

13. the consensus seems to be that debates with tRump are useless & should be ended

as he is too much of a disrupting pos that breaks all debating rules, plus he lies every time he opens his yap.

[yaesu]

15. Biden had 2 jobs tonight, one was to show the nation what a real pres looks like, two, was to

do the job Wallace should have done, moderate that disruptive, lying pos tRump

[Rizen]

17. Wallace was pitiful

and Trump's a monster.

[minidriver]

20. As Patton Oswalt put it so succinctly

Biden's prep coach for the next debate -- a screaming goat on PCP.

[Cha]

27. lol.. It should have been for this one.

[JohnnyRingo]

21. Wallace lost control early on.

I don't even blame Trump, he got away with what Wallace allowed him.
He pushed it until Wallace stopped him, and he didn't.

On the other hand, next time maybe Biden should prep with Martha Stewart and learn to turn the guns on Trump. He was more assertive during the democratic debates. Kamala wouldn't have put up with this shit.

[Dopers_Greed]

25. They should have cut Trump's mic

And only turned it on during his "time" and during the active debate parts.

Or better yet, just left it off entirely.

[Duppers]

28. My hubs kept saying that during the debate.

He should agree to it or no debate.

[rpannier]

31. Kind of hard to blame Wallace

trump doesn't listen
He didn't in 2016
The format they should use for the next debate is "Around the Horn" from ESPN
They aren't in the studio and the moderator could cut heir mic

[oldsoftie]

32. You cant blame Wallace for trump being a dick. He needed a mic cutoff button.

He'll do the same with the next moderator.

[Cetacea]

33. +1000. No mic kill switch, no further "debates"

As usual, and as planned, Trump becomes the center of attention.

[Maxheader]

34. Gee, who could see that coming.?

Joe had to respond....and why get down to a "facts and civil discourse?

Fuck cnn and all the neg comments...anyone with a brain knew dementia

boy wouldn't follow the rules, that it would interrupt with off the topic bs..

That it would be a self promotion...nothing about the countries needs..

[Yeehah]

35. Fox "News" is not a legitimate news outlet and should not be treated like one

Fox "News" and its employees should have nothing to do with presidential debates.

[marie999]

36. Did anyone think it would be any different? n/t

[Nay]

39. I sure didn't, which is why I didn't watch or listen. A mike kill switch could have enforced

the rules, but, as has been his privilege his whole life, Trump has no one to tell him to STFU and then enforce it, no matter how simple it would have been to do that. We should first investigate why such a simple, useful tool is not used.

[dicksmc3]

37. I think Wallace knows his time at FAUX is over with the debate..

I seriously doubt Chris Wallace will take any more bullshit from Trump after last night. Blaming Wallace for the poor debate is not even worth talking about. He was put in a spot by Murdoch and his ONE SIDED network to disrupt any chance of a peaceful, meaningful debate about issues and problems in America. He had no chance with the ORANGE ASSHOLE interrupting every time Wallace talked!
Maybe now Chris Wallace will apply at another network as another good FAUX personality did last year, Shep Smith. Good luck Chris ....

[Hugin]

40. I still haven't decided if Wallace wasn't doing his job, was doing what he was paid to do, or both.

Nothing further.

[TomVilmer]

48. Fox News: They don't call him Cocaine Mitch for nothing!

Just took a trip out of the bubble, and listened to Fox News Across America with Jimmy Failla. Quite interesting program, roasting Trump for his really bad performance at the debate - and the host given an unexpected rant about "Cocaine Mitch"!