Trump's advisers are trying to reduce expectations

[Rogue Valley]

Trump's advisers are trying to reduce expectations that he'll easily beat Biden in the presidential debates, report says

8/10/20
President Donald Trump's advisers are warning not to take victory over Joe Biden for granted in forthcoming presidential debates, Axios reported Sunday. According to the report, the Trump campaign increasingly sees the three presidential debates as one of the last clear chances the president will have to reverse the fortunes of his campaign so far. Axios said two advisers involved in prepping Trump for the contest — New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and campaign strategist Jason Miller — are pushing back against any signs of complacency. The characterization contradicts frequent claims by Trump and his campaign that Biden's cognitive abilities are fading with age. The two believe that Biden is a "decent, experienced and relatively disciplined debater," Axios said. "Joe Biden is actually a very good debater. He doesn't have as many gaffes as he does in his everyday interviews," Miller told the Post. One source told Axios that the president has pressed home the importance of the debates to his officials, as he continues to trail Biden in polls ahead of the election amid the fallout from the botched US response to the coronavirus.

"He [Trump] has verbalized how important these are going to be," one source said. "He's said, 'We gotta win. The press will never give me the credit for it, but the people will.'" The first presidential debate is scheduled for September 29 at Case Western Reserve University, Ohio. The second is due on October 15 at Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Florida, and the third on October 22 at Belmont University, Tennessee. The commission is expected to name its debate moderators in early September, according to reports. Last week it rejected the Trump campaign's request for another debate to be held in September. The Trump campaign had claimed the extra debate was necessary to give people a chance to see the president in a head-to-head contest against Biden before early voting begins in some states.

C'mon, Trump calls Biden “Sleepy” but can’t say Yosemite.

Trump will be Trump, a'la 2016. No policy substance sprinkled with a lot of sophomoric name-calling and grandiose promises that he can't keep.

I wonder if Trump will again tell America during the debates of his plan to stop funding Social Security and Medicare? That will go over well.

Biden doesn't have to do much. When your opponent is committing suicide, you don’t have to shoot him.

Just the same, Biden needs to be sharp and plan ahead for all questions and contingencies. Bury the wooden stake deep in Trump.