World reacts with surprise, worry to Biden- Trump debate

GENEVA » Many across the world looked on largely aghast as the first debate between President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden devolved into a verbal slugfest short on substance but heavy with implications for America’s international image:

• Head- scratching perplexity about U. S. democracy in Australia and Denmark.

• Disdain for “chaos” and “insults” between America’s presidential contenders in a Chinese Communist Party tabloid.

• A European market watcher’s warning of a “credibility deficit” in U. S. politics amid fears that a long tradition of peaceful, amicable transfer of power could be in jeopardy.

Emotions and adjectives ran the gamut, but few observers appeared to come away thinking that the last remaining superpower could rise above its bitter partisan rancor as the election looms a month away.

“If last night’s presidential debate was supposed to inform and educate, all it did was merely confirm the credibility deficit in U. S. politics, as President Trump, and Democrat nominee Joe Biden, engaged in what can only be described as a fact- free, name- calling contest,” wrote Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMCMarkets UK.

But one major worry to emerge from the debate was whether the election resultsmight be challenged or delayed, in part because Trump raised concerns about ballots and possible vote- rigging that his critics say are a ploy to tamp down turnout or scare people away from the polls.

“A highly polarized and possibly legally contested U. S. election is just around the corner,” said Stephen Innes of AxiCorp, a foreign exchange trading services provider. “With mailin votes likely to be too high ( and potentially questioned), there is a chance thatwe still will not know the result by InaugurationDay, with constitutional chaos ensuing.”

Europe and Africa woke up to reports about the cacophonous showdown overnight:

• “The comments I’ve seen from various European press ( outlets) is basically, ‘ I’m happy I’m not an American voter this year.’ It’s just a mess,” said Jussi Hanhimaki, a FinnishSwiss professor of International History at the Graduate Institute in Geneva.

“That’s all extremely disturbing for many Europeans, who generally would think the United States would be a symbol of democracy — that’s been the oldest democracy in the world — that has this long, long tradition of, yes, very acrimonious debate, but there’s always been a winner and a peaceful transfer of power,” he said.

• Kenyan commentator Patrick Gathara said on Twitter, “This debate would be sheer comedy if it wasn’t such a pitiful and tragic advertisement for U. S. dysfunction.”

• Danish PrimeMinister

Mette Frederiksenwrote on Facebook, “An election debate in the States last night, where interruptions and quarrels were allowed to fill up way toomuch. Fortunately, this is not the case in Denmark. And I never hope itwill be like that. The harsh words polarize and split.”

Amanda Wishworth, a lawmaker in Australia’s center- left Labor Party, said, “A lot of people would be scratching their heads, especially here from Australia, where, believe it or not, our politics is a little bit more gentle than the U. S. of A.”

Steffen Seibert, German Chancellor AngelaMerkel’s spokesman, said she was “informed about what took place last night,” but he declined to comment.

“We don’t want to comment on this, don’t want to provide an assessment, because it will be immediately perceived as an attempt to interfere,” said Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin. “The Russian Federation has never interfered in the internal affairs of theUnited States and never will.”

Walter Veltroni, a columnist for Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera and a former center- left mayor of Rome, said he had seen all the U. S. TV debates since Kennedy vs. Nixon in 1960, but “I have neverwitnessed a spectacle similar to the one last night.”

He said the debate showed how there are two Americas that appear irreconcilable.

“The impression is that of a country in stalemate, paralyzed by politics and tones that are foreign to its tradition,” Veltroni said.