Former Debate Coach Explains Biden’s and Trump’s Debate Strategy | WSJ

- Senator Biden. - Vice President Biden. - Vice President Biden. -President Joe Biden has been in more presidential-level

debate

s than any other politician, nearly 30 of them, and he is preparing to take the stage again, this time for a rematch against

former

President Donald Trump. - What do you want to call them? Give me a name. Give me a name. - White supremacists. - Go ahead, who would you like me to condemn? - Proud boys. - White supremacists and right-wing militias. - The proud boys. Stand back and wait. - Both Biden and Trump are experienced

debate

rs at the presidential level.

Both have had some stumbles in recent months and weeks and both are looking for this opportunity to reset the campaign narratives a bit. - This is how the two presumptive presidential candidates have evolved on the debate stage and what is at stake this time. - So as we debate these issues, let's put them in concrete terms and understand that when we talk about these statistics we are talking about people. - President Biden, one of the things he does well is project himself as a decent, honest human being and he wants to make sure people understand that he is an American, like them, outside of the working class. - Ted Olson,

former

US attorney general, represented Biden during Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan's debate preparation sessions in 2012. - I was watching every tape I could get my hands on, every video of every debate, every political statement. .

Now, he's been back in politics for decades, so there's a lot of material there. (Audience applauds)-Biden's first presidential forum was almost 40 years ago, together with his Democratic rivals in Houston. He had already been in public office for more than a decade. (soft music) - And I believe that we can meet all of these challenges that we have talked about tonight, and it is not just my 15 years of experience as a United States senator that tells me that, but my unwavering belief that the people American can solve any problem you put your mind to. -If he uses certain phrases over and over again, he has certain extravagant gestures regarding his speech. - Look friends, look friends, look friends. -He has a kind of big smile, a high-powered smile that he would really show off, in a disarming way.

He did particularly well, I thought, during his vice-presidential debates. So while they attack him, he doesn't scowl, he doesn't nod his head angrily, he doesn't angrily take notes, he just flashes this giant smile and laughs a little. - Senator Biden, you'll remember that in that energy plan that Obama voted for, that's what gave those oil companies those big tax breaks. His running mate voted for that. - In 2012, when Biden faced Paul Ryan in the vice presidential debate, the Democratic candidate had served in the Senate for nearly 40 years. -Joe Biden was not so inhibited because people knew him, he knew himself, he wandered a lot about the topic of the conversation, he was sarcastic, he smiled, he was sarcastic. - And when we appear weak, our adversaries are much more willing to test us, they are more brazen in their attacks, and our allies are less willing to trust us. - With all due respect, that's a lot of nonsense. -His weakness is that it is difficult for him to stay on topic.

You'll answer or get something to the point of the question you're asked, but then you'll often veer off into something that's tangential to that, and that distracts you from the image you'll want to project of someone mature, level-headed, and in full control of their minds. faculties. - Joe Biden comes with half a century of experience in national politics but, curiously, it is Donald Trump who has been on the presidential debate stage more times than Joe Biden. -Trump has participated in at least 15 debates for the presidency since his first candidacy for the White House in 2016. -It is tremendously good that someone with Donald Trump's temperament is not in charge of the law in our country. - Yes, because you would be in jail. - Secretary Clinton. (audience shouts overlap) - Former President Trump has no natural inclination toward calm or restraint.

He has a tendency to be aggressive. He is very impulsive, he says whatever comes into his head. -He Never use the word smart with me. He never used that word. - Oh! give me a break. - Because, you know what? There's nothing smart about you, Joe. 47 years you haven't done anything. - Well, let's have this debate. - President Trump frequently presents himself as an outsider. Trump is able to get under the skin of his opponents when he's on the debate stage and shake them up and make them say things or do things or seem weak in some way, and he's been able to use that to great effect, particularly in 2016. .- No. you worry about that. - Alright.

Don't worry about it, little Marcus. - I think you saw in the 2020 debates that Biden was prepared for some of Trump's antics. - Vote now. - Are you going to fill the field? -Make sure you let the people know, your senator...-he doesn't want to answer the question. - I'm not going to answer the question because... - Why wouldn't you answer that question? You want to put a lot of... - Because the question is, the question is... - New Supreme Court judges, radical left. - The question. Will you shut up, man? - Who is your? Listen.

Who's on your list, Joe? Who is on your list? - Are. This is. - Gentlemen, I think we are done with this. - This is so unpresidential. -He is going to fill the field. - But the first presidential debate in 2024 will be a little different. There will be no live audience and microphones will be muted when it is not the candidate's turn to speak. -Having these barriers could actually end up benefiting Trump, who is known for being a big disruptor, because he will prevent him from being seen as someone who is, you know, so authoritarian. - This is a 90-minute debate, which is not a lot of time.

Both individuals are older. I can say this because I am one too. I know you can get tired easily and concentration is difficult during that period of time. - There is a lot at stake in this exchange. There just aren't many opportunities to clean up a messy performance. It makes it even more important that it be perfect. - Trump and Biden are tied among registered voters nationally, according to recent polls, and both face increased scrutiny. Trump recently became the first former US president convicted of serious crimes, and Biden's age and mental acuity have been a major concern for many voters. - You have to be very careful when you are a debater, you don't want to reinforce the negative things that people already think about you.

If the candidate behaves in a manner consistent with the low expectations that have been set for either of them, that will reinforce those expectations and then be impossible to dispel during the rest of the campaign. (brilliant music)