THE DEBATE (Libé)

source: Libération

author: Frédéric Autan

transaltion: GoogleTranslate/doxa-louise

INTERVIEW

Trump-Biden debate "reinforces the idea that the United States is going through a dark period"

President Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Joe Biden during their first debate in Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday night. Photo Jonathan Ernst. Reuters 

For researcher Célia Belin, the first chaotic televised duel between Donald Trump and Joe Biden did not change the dynamics of a campaign marked by deep division.

Political scientist Célia Belin, a specialist on the United States and researcher at the Brookings Institution in Washington, looks back on the first televised debate between President Trump and his rival Joe Biden. An "atrocious" duel during which the former Democratic vice-president, however, succeeded, she believes, in highlighting the empathy which is the strength of her campaign.

Were you surprised by the brutality of this debate?

Donald Trump has not changed in four years. He is exactly the same debater. He is a "bully" ,  that is to say, he is in total invective. He seeks personal attack, humiliation, to demean his opponent, to impress him,  to not let him speak. What surprised me more is that despite the preparation that Camp Biden has boasted about, the former vice-president was a little tricked by Donald Trump. Without going so far as to losse his temper, he reacted very strongly, telling his rival to "shut up" , calling him a "clown". Whenever he had two-minute segments in which Trump pretty much let him speak, as the understanding between the two campaigns required , Biden tried to take the high road, to expose his vision. But since he was under fire from Donald Trump, he allowed himself to be distracted too much.

On several occasions, Biden nonetheless addressed  Americans directly, looking at the camera ...

And these were the strongest moments of the debate. The few times he actually addressed the American people, it was extremely effective. All this had been obviously carefully prepared, as for example on health olicy. He basically said to Americans, “It's about your health, your family. It is you who are at home, facing economic difficulties, you whose children do not go to school. The President hasn't looked after you, and we can do something. I have a plan for this. ”  Every time Biden has spoken directly to the Americans, we have seen the strength of his campaign, which is empathy., his ability to understand the suffering of people, because he himself has known many trials in his life. This is the opposite of the temperament of President Trump, who has always valued winners and never had a word of compassion, or so little, for the more than 200,000 Americans who have died of Covid and their families, for them: people stricken by unemployment or for blacks victims of police violence.

Donald Trump often attacks Joe Biden on his age, his lack of energy, his physical and mental capacities. He did not do so during the debate. What did you think of Joe Biden's performance?

He didn't seem confused, and I don't think this debate fueled the rumor of senility spread by Trump supporters on social media, and which the President often brings up in his gatherings. However, Biden did not put on a very good performance, we know that the debates are not his forte. Although he had probably practiced a lot, especially to use short sentences, I did not find him particularly good. Between the two men, Trump has shown more vitality, there is no doubt. He's punchier, bounces back faster, and like many people, Joe Biden sometimes loses track of what he's saying when he's constantly interrupted. It's very unique to compete with Donald Trump in this field, and Biden hasn't been particularly successful. But I don't believe this debate has changed the underlying dynamic. The polls put Biden in the lead, and as such, it was up to Trump to turn the tide, and he didn't.

Donald Trump has repeatedly accused his rival of being the puppet of the "radical left" . Joe Biden responded by clearly distancing himself from the left of the Democratic Party. Could it cost him votes among the progressives?

There is a sacred union of the left to beat Donald Trump. There is a general realization, including among the more progressive fringes of America, that no breakthrough will take place if he remains in power. This is also accompanied by a realization that the Supreme Court will soon be very largely dominated by  conservatives., once the next judge is confirmed, which is sure to happen. The goal of progressives right now is to beat Trump. So I do not believe that the positions taken during the debate by Joe Biden, whether it is his stranglehold on the party or the rejection of the Green New Deal, will cost him votes, or in extremely small circles. His response was intended to reassure and to leave no possibility for Trump to equate him with the "radical left". However, the day after the results, if Joe Biden wins, the progressive left will come at full speed to knock on his door, especially if it advances in the next Congress. The internal battle within the Democrats will resume.

One of the highlights of the debate was Donald Trump's refusal to clearly disassociate himself from white supremacists ...

He does not want to denounce these small groups, these armed militias , because it is those people who come to his meetings, who contribute to his fervent base of supporters. I did not expect anything else, but I am still shocked that the President of the United States failed to denounce white supremacists, and at the same time finds himself in a form of implicit support for groups whose dangerousness is established. Multiple attacks, in the United States and abroad, have been carried out in the name of these supremacist beliefs. And it is the number one priority of the FBI today, ahead of Islamist terrorism.

This implicit support is all the more worrying in a context of questioning of the integrity of the elections, in particular by the President ...

It is indeed beginning to become clear to observers of American political life. There have been violent clashes between militants and militiamen in recent months, which have left several dead in Wisconsin and Portland. Such political violence is very rare. What can happen if Trump does not recognize the outcome of the polls  ? He demonstrated during the debate that he has no intention of recognizing the result of the postal vote. He said it again, the moment that matters is election night, and we know he could be in the lead then as his supporters vote more in person, while Biden's vote. more by correspondence, and the ballots will take time to be counted.

Some Americans are deeply worried, because Trump's accusations of fraud, as well as his refusal to denounce the armed groups that are favorable to him, raise fears of episodes of violence, or at least of intimidation. The most shocking thing he did during the debate was once again to call on his supporters to come and watch the election. We know very well that it is not just a question of setting up citizen observation. Behind this call, there is a form of intimidation. He wants his supporters, by their presence in numbers, to demonstrate their strength. And this echoes his refusal, a few days ago, to commit to a peaceful transfer of power.

Does this brutal debate ultimately sum up the state of division of the country and of the American political class?

It must be remembered that the three debates between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton four years ago were not very glorious either. Nobody expected this Tuesday evening to bring grand ideas and deep exchanges of points of view. Still, yes, it was atrocious to watch. And that signals to everyone  that the United States is really going through a very dark time, made even more difficult by the Covid epidemic. Democrats are deeply concerned for the future of their country. And Republican America, faced with the scarecrow of the radical left that Trump wields, also feels threatened and anxious. As Joe Biden said to Donald Trump on Tuesday night, "you have divided this country". And it's true that this is what we remember from four years of Trump's presidency: the divisions, the deep political tension. It leads to that kind of debate. We couldn't expect much else.

Frédéric Autran