CNN accused of debate rules to help Biden

 DC Daily Journal:

Former CNN political analyst Chris Cillizza has expressed concerns about CNN’s rules for the upcoming presidential debate, suggesting they predominantly favor President Joe Biden over former President Donald Trump.

On Saturday, CNN finalized the format for the 90-minute debate, scheduled for June 27 in Atlanta and hosted by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. The rules include muting microphones and not allowing a live studio audience. In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Cillizza analyzed these rules, asserting that three out of four primarily benefit Biden.

Cillizza began by discussing the rule on muting microphones, stating it clearly favors Biden. Although CNN has not specified whether Tapper and Bash will control the muting, the network has mentioned that moderators “will use all tools at their disposal to enforce timing and ensure civilized discussion.”

“I don’t love it from a debate perspective, but from a who does this benefit perspective, it clearly benefits Biden,” Cillizza explained. He elaborated that Trump’s debating style involves frequent interruptions and extended monologues, which were evident in the 2020 debates.

“Trump just talks and talks and talks, and that’s true in 2016 too. He interrupts, he bullies. In 2020, Biden even said, ‘Hey man, why don’t you just shut up?’” With muted microphones, such interruptions would be curtailed, thus benefiting Biden by preventing disruptions to his speaking time and focus.

Cillizza then addressed the inclusion of two commercial breaks during the debate, a departure from the non-stop, two-hour format previously managed by the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates. He believes these breaks will benefit Biden by allowing him moments to regroup.

“He is older, and while it’s only three and a half years older, he struggles more with these live performance situations than Trump does,” Cillizza noted. Although candidates cannot consult with their campaign teams during breaks, the pause provides Biden a chance to recalibrate without the immediate pressure of being on live TV.

The former CNN analyst also pointed out that the lack of a studio audience favors Biden, considering Trump supporters’ reputation for being vocal. “Trump supporters are loud and less likely to follow debate rules about not expressing sentiment until the end. Their cheering and booing could influence the perception of the debate,” Cillizza said. The absence of such an audience removes this potential advantage for Trump.

However, Cillizza conceded that one rule could benefit Trump: the prohibition of pre-written notes. “Trump doesn’t have a ton of policy positions he needs to remember and tends to riff anyway. Biden, on the other hand, might struggle more with extemporaneous speaking and remembering detailed policy points without notes,” he explained. While candidates can take notes during the debate, the lack of pre-written aids could pose a greater challenge for Biden.
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Biden already mumbles through reading his teleprompter so I think he probably will still have problems on the debate stage. 

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