Many of the headlines and commentaries following the first round of Presidential debates have some consensus: “shit show”. This was CNN’s take at the conclusion of the debate, and surely this is the first story they have gotten right all year.
The blame for last night’s train wreck lies squarely with the train’s conductor, Chris Wallace. His tenure at Fox has been a disappointment to many, and for many years. His character and mannerisms have led many to question his motivations, often appearing “soft” on or supportive of established D. C. Politicians, giving the impression that he is left-leaning.
Much of what we witnessed last night was two men having an argument while a small child begged for attention in the background. As a moderator, Wallace’s performance was so piss-poor that any average parent could have kept better order. He needed a whistle, an air horn, to cut the mics of the politicians on stage, turn off the lights, or zap them with shock collars; he could have run out on stage with a stop sign, a yield sign, and a “GO” sign.
When a moderator such as Wallace, has no balls, and is twice as pompous and narcissistic as the politicians he is moderating we get what we got last night. With so many interruptions, men talking at the same time, no one staying on point, and Wallace giving a turkey’s call in the background: the average viewer is left to draw their own conclusions.
So what did you take away from this debate?