This debate is expected to be pivotal in the election campaign for both candidates, offering a golden opportunity for each to strengthen their stance before voters and persuade the undecided of their legitimacy to win the race to the White House.
Both teams are preparing for this showdown with a mix of caution and enthusiasm.
Biden's team is focusing on highlighting his successes in improving the economy, reducing unemployment rates, and managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Advisors are preparing Biden with files to respond to potential attacks from Trump, prioritizing issues such as healthcare and climate change.
On the other hand, Trump’s team is formulating offensive strategies to question Biden's leadership capabilities and spotlighting current economic challenges such as inflation and rising fuel prices. Trump's advisors are preparing to attack Biden directly, leveraging Trump's past debate experience and his ability to spark heated discussions. They also plan to highlight controversial issues such as immigration policies and the aftermath of the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Preparations are not limited to individual training for the candidates but also include meticulous coordination with media teams to ensure clear and effective message delivery to the public. Intensive meetings among campaign members are focused on determining key points and strategies for handling unexpected questions and situations that may arise during the debate.
In this intense scenario, American voters hope to gain a clear vision of the country's future through the performance of both Biden and Trump on stage. This debate will be a real test for each candidate's ability to lead amid current challenges, with expectations of high viewership that could be crucial in altering the course of the elections.
Immigration, Ukraine: Two key issues
President of the Arab American Institute Dr. James Zogby believes the upcoming presidential debate between Biden and Trump will be filled with mutual attacks without significantly altering voter positions. Zogby expects Trump to raise issues related to Hunter Biden and accuse the president of corruption concerning his son's dealings with Ukraine a decade ago. These baseless accusations are part of Trump's usual complaints.
"Biden prefers to focus on his record and discuss important issues such as the economy, healthcare, and environmental protection, but he won’t be able to avoid getting drawn into Trump's game of attacks and fabrications. Biden might also attempt to fuel the situation by mentioning Trump's recent conviction and other pending cases against him, which will increase the tension," he added.
Zogby pointed out that "the two main issues likely to be seriously addressed in the debate are immigration and Ukraine. Biden will try to highlight the threats Trump poses to democracy and the constitution, while Trump will spend most of his time attacking, showcasing his persecution complex and grievances in an attempt to dominate the discussion and confuse Biden."
He noted that "Trump's main weakness will be his narcissism and persecution complex, which Biden won’t have to exert much effort to exploit; Trump will be fully ready to display it through his behaviour."
"Biden performs better on domestic issues but suffers from a deep disconnect between the reality of the country’s situation and their economic circumstances and the perception that things are not going well, unfairly blaming Biden for that," Zogby explained.
"In reality, no one will win if the debate goes as expected. Trump’s base will remain convinced he won, and the same will happen with Biden's base. We’ve seen this many times in the past and know them well; so, I don’t expect positions to change. The only thing that might have an impact is something unexpected happening. If either candidate makes a major mistake or forgets what they were going to say, it could change some voter opinions," he concluded.
Anger, age: A struggle on stage
John Dabeet, a member of the Democratic Party’s Central Committee in Iowa and a Democratic candidate for the Senate, asserted that the upcoming presidential debate between Biden and Trump would be a crucial moment in the race to the White House. He explained that both teams know how the candidates will answer voters' questions on important topics such as the economy, immigration, and healthcare.
Dabeet noted that Trump's allies are urging him to continue focusing on his future governance plans but expect him to face tough questions about his persistent claims of election fraud, his role in eroding abortion rights, and his unprecedented legal issues. Biden can use Trump’s various criminal and civil trials, including charges related to attempts to overturn the 2020 election, which could cost Trump many votes.
He emphasized that the debate, scheduled for next Thursday, would be a pivotal moment in the race to the White House despite voters' lack of enthusiasm. Experts expect a large viewership, as a strong performance could lead to a significant victory with the race moving into the final stage.
Dabeet mentioned that the outcome would depend on how each candidate impacts the audience. If Biden performs well, the Democratic Party might reconsider his candidacy, and a strong debate performance would give Democrats a substantial boost leading up to the election. The same applies to Trump, who faces legal challenges.
He added that voters, despite their lack of enthusiasm for both candidates, are waiting to see if there will be a meltdown on stage. Trump might suffer an anger meltdown, while Biden might experience a breakdown due to age, both of which would negatively affect the American voter.
Dabeet highlighted that the key issues in the debate on the domestic front would include the economy, immigration, and healthcare, while the global discussion would cover climate change and national security. He stressed that the debate would be a crucial opportunity to reach the few swing voters who can decide the election, making it highly significant for both candidates.
Swing voters hold the game's rules
In a special analysis of the upcoming presidential debate between Biden and Trump, political analyst Tawfik Hamid predicts that the economy and the Ukraine war will be the prominent files in the discussions. Hamid explained that Trump will showcase his administration's economic performance during the first three years of his tenure, highlighting significant economic growth, low unemployment rates, and low interest rates that encouraged investment.
He added that Trump will seize the opportunity to criticize Biden for the high inflation and interest rates during his presidency, arguing that Biden's economic policies have harmed the American economy.
Regarding the Ukraine war, Hamid expects Trump to criticize Biden's handling of the crisis, saying, "Trump will claim that the United States engaged in an expensive war that could have been avoided with serious negotiations with Putin from the beginning." Trump will present himself as a leader capable of quickly ending the crisis by halting financial and military support to Ukraine, forcing the Ukrainian president to negotiate.
Hamid pointed out that the issue of the Afghanistan withdrawal might appear in the discussion, with Trump using it to demonstrate the weakness of Biden's administration and the decline of the United States' global standing. "Trump will argue that the disorganized withdrawal weakened the image of the United States and gave Taliban the opportunity to take control of the country," he said.
Hamid said Trump will focus on Biden's strategy of large government spending, especially in supporting Ukraine, saying, "Trump will argue that this unsustainable spending threatens the American economy, increases public debt, and imposes heavy economic burdens on future generations."
He affirmed that the upcoming presidential debate between Biden and Trump could heavily focus on the pharmaceutical industry and economic policies. "In certain areas within the pharmaceutical industry, Trump can have a significant impact when discussing recent issues, especially since pharmaceutical companies are raising prices daily, which Trump can use as one of the main pressure points in the debate," he added.
Hamid emphasized that the next presidential debate between Biden and Trump could significantly influence swing voters. "Swing voters are the ones who completely change the rules of the game. If Trump can present himself in a way that touches the feelings of the average American, especially regarding excessive government spending abroad and rising prices domestically, he might be able to win their support," he said.
Hamid believes that the debate between Biden and Trump will be filled with hot moments and sharp confrontations over economic and political issues, with each candidate trying to demonstrate their strength and ability to lead the country amid current challenges. This will make the discussion exciting and influential in shaping voter opinions before the upcoming presidential elections.
Moreover, American political analyst Shaun Tandon predicts that the upcoming debate between Biden and Trump may be the most important event in their election campaigns.
Tandon explained that Biden faces a challenge that Americans may have forgotten many things they disliked about Trump. With significant media focus on Biden's age, he needs to turn the tables and try to prove that Trump is unfit for the presidency.
He noted that observers will set the questions, likely to cover topics ranging from the economy and domestic social policies to foreign affairs. Despite this, US elections always remain close, and the decisive factor for both Biden and Trump will be how competent and strong they appear on stage.
Tandon added that both candidates are expected to attack each other as mentally unfit. Trump and his supporters have consistently sought to portray every verbal slip by Biden as evidence of his advanced age and declining mental capabilities. However, this is a risky strategy, and Biden will also try to show the same with Trump, even though Americans tend to forgive Trump's gaffes as part of his character.
He stated that Biden will seize the debate opportunity to hit Trump hard on his criminal conviction, emphasizing that electing a convicted person as president is unprecedented. Biden will emphasize reminding voters of this fact at every opportunity.
Tandon said each candidate will present a different narrative about the economy. Biden will discuss the strong economic growth and low unemployment rates, portraying this as a recovery from the pandemic-induced recession under Trump. Conversely, Trump will focus on the issue of inflation, which, although it has eased, remains a concern for many. Observers will undoubtedly address the issue of Gaza, where Trump's criticism of Biden will be noteworthy, despite the lack of fundamentally different policies.
He also highlighted that the unique rules of this debate introduce an element of unpredictability. Both sides have agreed to cut the microphone for the candidate not speaking, and no audience will be present. This could pose a greater challenge for Trump, who relies on rallying the crowd and interrupting his opponents. However, it also means Biden cannot challenge any outlandish statements Trump might make.
In conclusion, Tandon said it will be crucial to see how each candidate performs relative to expectations. Biden may have the greater opportunity to benefit if he appears strong and avoids verbal missteps, thereby countering Trump's portrayal of him as too old. Conversely, Trump has the chance to land powerful blows against Biden, but he will be under intense scrutiny since leaving office.
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