The democrats deperately needed this.
The only thing between Trump and the American People is the media. When Trump steps onto the debate stage, he is in the domain of the media, and it's Sleepy Joe's home turf. Luckily for us, Trump runs circles around them.
The media is hungry for soundbites, which is why they even allowed Joe to do the debates in the first place. It doesn't have the same ring to it when you say "He's a racist" to a circle of fawning liberals on ill-tended grass. No, they wanted to right to GEOTUS' face. The 'shut up,' the 'clown,' and all the other artificial, over-prepared one-liners.
But Joe choked. It all fell flat. He couldn't even muster a soundbite out of it due to Trump's blustery offense. It was intentional. They can't get a clean line if GEOTUS cuts in - and not just due to the audio distortion, but due to how fragile Joe's composure is. Trump sacrificed his calm demeanor in order to deny Biden the chance to land a solid blow via the media.
The media panicked and recoiled because, as usual, they couldn't anticipate Trump's tactics. They bought time with 'This is unprecedented behavior" then pivoted to the Charolettsville myth. And taxes. They recapitulated to 2018's content because Joe couldn't deliver in 2020. (Do you notice how liberals recapitulate with Trump while Trump evolves? Who knew he'd get Joe to disavow the Green New Deal? Joe had to be updated on his policy while being fed oatmeal the next morning).
But now I am a little worried. If Trump allows the debate to be virtual, he will be vulnerable. Joe will have the opportunity to land that shot and get a few 'tough' soundbites a few weeks before the election if they hinder Trump's ability to counter and disrupt.
But it's in Trump's interest to debate, even if the media stacks the deck. He was right; the American people know, and he knows the more people see of Joe, the better.
Pence came across as that ideal, conservative statesman from eras past.
He was genuine, compassionate, and principled. It made me realize, maybe a little late, how strategic and clever a pick he was for 2016. Facing Kamala revealed how perfect a foil he is for Trump.
I love Trump for Trump, and no one else can pull it off. This is Trump's party now, and Pence gets it. He might have the look of a good old Republican, but he is a Trumpian, and this debate showed me that he is in our fight.
The debate showed the American people two things:
Kamala Harris is not ready to be POTUS (which is their poorly-disguised plan)
Mike Pence embodies Trump's Republican party. He is what Trump meant when he said he would teach them to win again.
This isn't a bad course of action for Trump. It leaves the current debate series on an incredible highnote thanks to Pence's masterclass.
I hope that there will be a final, in person debate, though. Trump knows that the American people get it, and the more they see of Sleepy Joe the better.