BU Today: What was your big takeaway from the debate?

Sandro Galea: Fundamentally, this election is going to come down to whether people have confidence that Vice President Biden can bring around a turnaround, in a time when the country feels beset with problems. The debate centered around President Trump’s defense of the past year primarily, but Vice President Biden struggled to articulate an alternative vision, in no small part because President Trump left very little space for conversation.

Jasmine Gonzales Rose: President Trump showed a woeful disregard for facts and informed decision-making, while Joe Biden showed respect for truth-seeking, evidence-based policymaking, and science. Joe Biden made it clear that if he were president, he would bring together diverse groups and experts—such as civil rights leaders and heads of law enforcement agencies—to develop policy solutions to police violence. My main takeaway was that Joe Biden is eager to engage in evidence-based, multidimensional discussions and policymaking, which are sorely needed today.

Lauren Mattioli: One concept I introduce the students in my Presidential Leadership class to is the idea of periodization—essentially, how should we think about the political past and contrast it with our political present? Is the world we live in like or unlike what has come before? It would be hard to watch tonight’s debate and think we are living the same era as 1960 (the year of the first televised presidential debate). Both candidates showed they are willing to forego even a nod to decorum.

Thomas Whalen:  The debate had all the appeal and sophistication of a WWF steel cage match, which is to say none at all. It was at times ponderous, crude, and exceedingly shallow. In fact, it was often unclear whether President Trump was debating his Democratic opponent or the moderator, Chris Wallace, who quickly lost control of the proceedings.

BU Today: Was there a gaffe or blunder that could cost one candidate or both candidates?

Galea: Vice President Biden was, to my mind, less agile dealing with sharp attacks by President Trump than one might have hoped. I would expect that we’ll be seeing repeated Republican attacks on Vice President Biden’s capacity to handle the presidency.
 
President Trump was bullying, hectoring, and rude. But at the same time, he so long ago reset the norms of acceptable behavior that one suspects his behavior did not strike any viewer as particularly unusual.

Gonzales Rose: When asked about white supremacists, President Trump seemed to implicitly concede that white supremacists are part of what he recognizes to be the legitimate political right. When asked to stop white supremacist violence, he called on the Proud Boys, a group recognized as a white-nationalist hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, to “stand back and stand by.” For the commander-in-chief to call on a group to “stand by” sounds like it is an acknowledgment that they are in his corner and could rightfully do his bidding. It is frightening that white nationalist vigilante groups are esteemed by President Trump. 

Mattioli: None that will dominate the news cycle, I would guess. Trump’s major blunder was failing to condemn white supremacists yet again. Biden expressed support for, then distanced himself from, the Green New Deal. Neither will be particularly costly in terms of votes.

Whalen: The defining moment of the evening occurred when an exasperated Biden asked the president to “Shut up, man,” when Trump kept rudely interrupting him before he could get a sentence out. “You picked the wrong guy,” Biden said.

BU Today: Was there a highlight that one candidate will capitalize on?

Galea: Vice President Biden noted that one in 1,000 Black Americans have died of COVID and repeatedly mentioned that COVID is affecting the suburbs, suggesting that the Democrats will continue using the pandemic and the president’s handling of it as a key motivator for voters in the coming month.
 
Conversely, President Trump repeatedly tried to pin some of the more controversial positions held by the progressive wing of the Democratic party on Vice President Biden, repeatedly conflating “radical left supporters” with the vice president. Biden tried to sidestep this, drawing a line between his platform and positions held by others in the party, but the president succeeded in tying the vice president to conversations such as “defund the police” or the “Green New Deal,” even if they are not a part of the vice president’s platform.

Gonzales Rose: Former Vice President Biden acknowledged the truth of American history: that we have never accomplished racial equality and that we should seek, in this current moment, greater racial equity and uphold the Constitution. 
 
On the converse, President Trump ignored the questions about the racial treatment of people of color and instead focused on law enforcement support when being asked about race issues in America. The only problem Mr. Trump identified as “racist” was racial sensitivity trainings that he called “racist,” “insane,” and “radical.” He seemed particularly bent on prohibiting such trainings in schools. Former Vice President Biden made it clear that these types of trainings were about learning to communicate in a more respectful way and to help build self-esteem in young people. In this time of increased racial tensions, respect and cross-cultural communication are more important than ever.  
 
President Trump seemed more set on personal attacks than addressing the pressing issues facing the United States. In a powerful moment, Joe Biden made his priorities clear: “It’s not about my family or [Mr. Trump’s family], it’s about your family,” he said as he looked into the camera. More than anything, the presidency should be about all the people in the United States.

Mattioli: Biden’s most effective moments were when he addressed voters directly. He faced the camera and spoke clearly to the viewer rather than President Trump or Chris Wallace. By making voters feel a personal obligation to vote, and to believe that their vote matters, Biden can counteract fear and alienation with optimism and efficacy. Trump does not have much to highlight from his own performance, so his campaign will have to magnify Biden’s errors in the coming days.

Whalen: Only time will tell on that score.