The great debate: Focus on the American people

In the surreal campaign landscape of the 2020 race for president, one of the touchstones of the modern American election season happens this evening. Finally, a touch of normal: Donald Trump and Joe Biden will be debating their qualifications to be elected president, with the Ohio debate starting at 7 p.m. New Mexico time and continuing uninterrupted for 90 minutes. As familiar as the format is — two candidates and a moderator — like so much in politics since Trump entered the arena, the night is unpredictable.

Trump is reeling right now. His income taxes — finally — have been revealed, with the New York Times reporting that the president has paid no income taxes in 10 of the last 15 years. In recent years, the most Trump has paid in a year is $750; this from a man who claims to be a billionaire. There’s the continued bad news from the COVID19 pandemic, with cases apparently on the upswing again and the denier in chief continuing to hold in-person, crowded rallies that can spread the coronavirus.

A hot-button issue just took on greater importance: Trump has appointed a would-be successor to revered Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — the Supreme Court is one of the topics that moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News has announced will be discussed at the debate in Ohio. That he did so as voting already started is controversial, and so is his nominee — the extremely conservative Amy Coney Barrett. This is firing up bases in both the Democratic and Republican parties.

Other subjects up for debate are the economy, the pandemic, the records of both Trump and Biden, race and violence in cities, and the integrity of the election.

A meaty list of topics, although climate disruption should always be up for discussion — if we don’t get that right, the rest is so much noise. With voting already started — New Mexico absentee balloting begins Oct. 6 — a viewer could watch and vote, which wasn’t always possible in the past.

For Biden, the debate offers the opportunity to solidify what has been a steady lead — this is a fairly stable campaign despite the commotion. Unlike Trump, Biden is someone with command of the facts, experience in governing and with serious intent and focus.

One question moderator Wallace should ask is basic. After all the months of the pandemic, why are there not plenty of N95 masks produced in the United States as we go into fall and winter? More than 200,000 people have died; surely protecting the people still alive would be top of the agenda for a normal presidency.

A focused president would have made sure that the protection scientists have demonstrated effective would no longer be scarce. A focused president would have coordinated with states to ensure adequate testing and contract tracing. A focused president would not have lied to the American people about the severity and nature of the coronavirus.

Trump is none of those things, but he is able to distract from what matters, including his bizarre demand that Biden submit to a drug test before the debate. Biden must be ready for attacks, particularly on his record and the business dealings of his son, Hunter Biden. The Trump team has called for pre-debate drug testing, an out-of-left field charge that builds upon earlier baseless claims that Biden’s mental state is failing. Never forget that Biden has a disability — he stutters, and that connection between mind and tongue occasionally misfires. Watch for Trump to look to use that to his advantage.

As for Biden, he has knowledge, experience and decency on his side. The former vice president must avoid losing his temper if Trump attacks his family or his record too personally. He must avoid his tendency to overexplain and go too deep in the weeds on policy. He must be laser-focused on the people he needs to persuade, with the slight advantage that Trump’s team has attempted to paint Biden as being so incoherent that his ability to speak in complete sentences might be a shock.

Through it all, Biden must put the American people first — their desires, their hopes and their needs in this dark time. Trump’s attacks, his attempts to sow confusion, even his outright lies have to be set aside. Put the people first, and in the process, Biden will demonstrate that he can take charge of a nation in disarray.