I Was Wrong: Presidential Debate 1 2024 Edition

Though I mentioned this, I should be clearer:

I was wrong about:

1. Joe Biden's cognitive decline. 

   I've been quibbling with conservatives about this for about a year in other venues. I thought it was being overblown. It's clear that he's declining...but I was very wrong about how steeply.

Very, very wrong.

2. Trump's pathological bullshittery

   I actually think the guy is often funny--and when he's talking to ordinary people, he can extremely genuine and likable. (I do think that matters...but I'm not sure how much.)

   But I try to get out of listening to him speak publicly because I find it so angrifying and exasperating.

I'd almost forgotten how bad he is when he's winging it about his own achievements. 

   There is a difference between lying and hyperbole. And Trump's more inclined toward the latter. But, strictly (and not even so strictly) speaking, those are falsehoods. And he just asserts them over and over and over. He'll often say something true--or have an important truth easily-available--e.g. My economy was very good, or Many legal experts thought Roe was bad law, or Many people wanted to send abortion back to the states...but he can't stick with them. Even when he states them, he has to rapidly, pointlessly, and counterproductively escalate his rhetoric: I had the best economy ever, the vast majority of legal experts thought Roe was bad law, Everybody wanted to send abortion back to the states...

   It's maddening. It's pathological. It's dumb as hell...

   Even when he had Biden dead to rights on important points, like the "very fine people" hoax, he had to leave victory behind and move on to dumbassery: You made that up, Joe!

Biden didn't make that up, ya damn nitwit...the left basically spontaneously made it up, as it often does. The whole damn left has been running around saying that shit for seven years. Why do this?

   Over and over again, Trump turns truth into lies, and steps on his own good points...because of this pathological inability to just say a true thing and shut up. He's got to escalate.

   Part of it, I think, is that he just doesn't know the details and numbers. He knows he did something at the VA...he doesn't know how much he improved what by...so he reverts to his natural state of spewing superlatives...

   But: the reports of Biden's political demise are, I'd guess, being greatly exaggerated. He's capable of seeming reasonably energetic...and dangerous...as in his Red Address...(thought that's almost ancient history by now, I guess...) He could come out in the next debate and kick Trump's ass. CNN could change--or break--the rules and "fact check" Trump in real time. A smart debate coach could, I think, pretty easily equip Biden to verbally Judo (note: not actually how Judo works) the hell out of Trump...

Anyway. It ain't over yet.