Once Again, No Debate

Op-ed by TheWiseOldFart 

It is now 6:40 PDST. I just turned off the highly advertised “presidential debate.” Two journalists who I once respected, allowed Trump to refuse answering direct questions and offer his own fallacious agenda. Jake Tapper and Dana Bash failed to use their mute buttons and force the most infamous liar in history to continue lying to the American people and attack a real American president. 

Trump refused to answer questions about his position on abortion, immigration reform, and his support of Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. No surprise for this reporter. Watching this farce was an insult to my intelligence. 

DEBATE BY DEFINITION 

A debate is a discussion of a singular subject or subjects in which both sides are expected to offer their fact-based opinions about the issue. If a debate is to happen, opposing sides are required to defend their positions with evidence which will influence the outcome.  

None of this happened on Thursday evening.  

Once again Trump was given a free pass by the media. He was allowed to tell lie after lie in defense of his disastrous failures between 2017 and 2021.  

The subject he clearly avoided was about his attempted coup on January 6, 2021. My wife and I watched all three hours of what I believe was the darkest day in American history.  

Trump is undeniably a traitor to my country. He refused to accept an enormous defeat in the 2020 election and became the first man in our nation’s history no to comply with a peaceful exchange of power. 

Trump is mentally challenged. His malignant narcissism will not allow him to accept the truth when it conflicts with his need for acceptance and undeserved praise. 

WHY TRUMP CANNOT ENGAGE IN A REAL DEBATE 

Here’s the truth. Trump cannot engage in a  legitimate debate because one requirement does not exist. He must have facts, or plausible possibilities to convince others that his position is viable. Never in three debates with two different opponents, has Trump offered any of these necessities. He is a pathological liar who lacks sufficient intelligence to engage in an exchange of ideas. His brain is limited to what he is attempting to say, not to an honest discussion. 

ON NOVEMBER 9, 2016, I REFUSED TO BE LIED TO 

Not since the 2016 election became official have I  watched television “news.” No legitimate journalist had the courage to demand that Trump or his staff answer direct questions throughout the 2016 campaign.  

Tonight was a repeat of that atrocity.  

Why has Trump, the worst president in American history, and a lifetime criminal, been given a free pass by the media? This offers undeniable proof that the fourth estate is nothing but a memory. 

My disappointment is immeasurable. My wife and I hoped that we would see an honest discussion between the two old, white men who want to return to the White House. 

I have no estimation of what will happen in November. However, my lack of faith in the American people to do the right thing concerns me deeply. 

Op-ed by James Turnage 

Find my novels on Amazon