The commentariat has totally missed how much the final debate has damaged President Trump and further pushed the race’s dynamic to favor Vice President Joe Biden.
- The debates take place in a country where Trump’s approval and vote is stuck at 42 percent when the rest of the country decides whether they can vote for Biden. Our research showed Biden would gain from the 1st debate because of increased favorability and more saying, “he represents the middle class.” It was no surprise there was a much bigger audience for Biden town hall because the undecided are focused on him.
- Trump got heard in this debate, but that was a disaster for him. Biden gained in favorability and seeing him as someone representing middle class values battling for forgotten Americans and working Americans. For each, the intense, “describes very well,” increased by 10 points after the debate.
- That gain for Biden himself really affected the choice in the election. Biden increased his margin by 8 points on which candidate would improve things for the middle class, 5 points on uniting the country and 5 points, and most importantly, on getting health care costs down.
- If you thought Trump did okay and Biden simply made no mistakes, then you do not know America. You need to watch how they reacted to the exchanges on “your family,” Trump minimizing the damage from COVID, Trump describing the public option as socialism and defense of Social Security, Biden calling Trump a racist and Trump claiming he’s the best president for Black Americans since Lincoln, Trump attacking Fauci, Biden talking about DACA and separating children, the cities being a disaster, Biden describing the need for minimum wage and central workers and Biden warning Iran and Russia.
- Many commentators described the 1st debate as a “shitshow,” but it was the 2nd and final that was a shitshow for Trump.
