Most articles on the last debate concentrate on differences between the candidates. What struck me during the last debate is the similarities. The two candidates have similar demeanors.
Both candidates tend to use absolutes. Both candidates praise themselves. When accused of corruption, both candidates use the same booming voice to deflect the attack.
The US press is partisan. As long as I've lived the press has played the game of automatically attacking Republicans while automatically defending Democrats. This means we will see Trump's using a booming voice to deflect arguments more often than Biden. But they both use the same technique.
Politicians use different personas for different audiences. They use cajoling voices when wooing friends and aim a variety of insulting and condemning voices at their enemies.
Back when Trump was a Democrat, my progressive friends praised the guy. They would show videos of Trump using his schmoozing persona.
Today's media is highly partisan. They only show the images that fit their narrative.
Trump has perfected his booming voice. In the first debate, both candidates were playing the game of breaking into the time of the opposition. Since Trump has been in constant siege for the last four years, he was better at that game than Biden.
I prefer last night's debate as we saw both candidates cycle through their inventory of demeanors. They both use the same tricks.
I swear. Both candidates were cut from the same mold.
Both candidates were Democrats back in the sixties and seventies. I suspect that both candidates were deeply influenced by Lyndon Baines Johnson.
As for the content of the debate, I found both candidates lacking. We essentially have two seventies-style Democrats running for office. Both have a populist agenda. The 2020 election is quite disappointing.
There are no good ideas on the table. We just have two people who are skilled at positioning themselves in a partisan system.
PS: I decided to post this using the TalkingPoint.co web site.