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The debate went about as well, and as poorly, as we all thought knew it would.

I wanted to wait a few days before writing my initial post-presidential debate reaction. I was feeling a lot of emotions immediately after the debate, mostly anger, disgust, and dismay at the fact that the country's psyche is still held hostage by Trump, so I felt it best to let the dust settle first.

As Lorena and I watched the debate, she calmly sat on the couch while I paced around the room in circles, looking up at the T.V. and listening to the responses from both candidates. Well, one serious candidate, and then the ramblings of one of the most out-of-touch, mentally declining people I have ever seen in my life.

But Donald falling off the rails wasn't an accident. Vice President Kamala Harris played him. She put out the bait, he took it, and then some. All she had to do was sit back and wait because he would eventually bury himself with his inability to just let things go — and boy did he.

My Notable Moments

While there are plenty of soundbites from the first debate, many of which are memes now. But, here are a few that linger in my mind:

• Eating dogs. I have to be honest, I didn't even know that this was a discussion point prior to the debate, so when Trump started to spout off about eating dogs & cats, I was at a loss for words. In my mind, he absolutely lost the debate at this point, and convinced many voters to go with Harris.
• Unsubstantiated claims. Trump is famous for just saying shit that he thinks sounds good. Things like, “I'll end the war before I'm even in office”. This is so incredibly insulting to our intelligence.
• Poor response to war in Gaza. I didn't think Harris really did a good job in her answer relating to what is happening in Gaza. She made a point to twice reaffirm our commitment to defending Israel. I don't think that was really the message we needed to be sending (we already know that's the case), and it overshadowed the travesties occurring in the region.
• Fired by 81 million people. This was probably the best line of the entire debate. Vice President Harris reminding Trump that 81 million people voted against him, and that he was having a hard time processing that. Trump visibly upset at that line.
• Refused to support Ukraine. Trump was asked if he would support a Ukraine victory as President. This is a layup of a question, yet he refused to take the correct stance. It's a clear indication as to where his loyalties lie.
• Trump couldn't help himself. After just 10 minutes, Trump started to yell, sweat, spit his lies into the microphone — and it was all just as Kamala Harris planned. She floated out some bait for Trump, and every single time he couldn't help but take it. The longer that this went on, the more his outburst became alarmingly outlandish.

There were many points to mention, but overall, Vice President Harris looked far more presidential and in control.

I couldn't stay silent on one thing...

After the debate, many of the memes circling around social media were making fun of Trump's comments on immigrants eating pets. On one hand, I get it. Being laughed at is the worst nightmare for someone like Trump, so I'm here for that.

That said, what he said is deeply offensive. I especially feel this because my wife, Lorena, is Mexican. I had to address the seriousness of what was said.

It makes no difference if an immigrant came to this country legally or not, dehumanizing people for the sake of political “shock value” is cruelty that is indefensible, and flat-out wrong.

Trump deserves to be ridiculed for his absurd statements, but let's also remember that behind those statements is a deeply racist sentiment that cannot go unchecked.

The “Spin” has Begun

Trump had a very bad night, and everyone knows it. Well, everyone except for him. So, as you would expect, the right wing media is in a frenzy to start to discredit the one-sidedness of the debate.

I've seen articles cry that the moderators were ganging up on Trump, making it essentially three versus one. I didn't get that at all.

Trump spoke out of turn after every exchange. He always had to get the last word in, and the moderators allowed it every single time. If anything, I was getting pissed because when Vice President Harris tried to do that just one time, they cut her off. Plus, no one forced Trump to lie and to talk about eating animals. That was his own doing.

Yes, Trump was fact-checked more, but he lied a lot. He had considerably more inaccuracies (and that's being polite about it) than Vice President Harris. Besides, how do you not fact-check someone when they claim babies are being killed immediately after birth?

To the surprise of nobody, he is claiming he won (citing a poll from Newsmax... of all places), and that he won't do another debate because winners don't give “rematches”. Yet, let's not forget that he wanted another debate immediately after he first debated President Biden, and he thought he won that one too. This will backfire on him. He'll be called out for being a coward — and rightfully so. Vice President Harris made him quit!

Oh, and there are some who float the idea that Vice President Harris had advanced notice of the questions beforehand. Even some whispers that she was wearing an “earpiece” and that everything was “rigged”. The level of stupidity is incomprehensible.

Let's not forget: whenever Trump uses the word “rigged”, it's when he knows he actually lost. The 2020 election, his court cases, and now this debate.

Elon creates an unfortunate sideshow.

Taylor Swift posted her support quite eloquently on Instagram, a huge moment for the Harris campaign. Taylor Swift has incredible influence, despite the Right trying to downplay it. It also doesn't hurt that she is from Pennsylvania either, a key battleground state.

Apparently, the ego of Elon Musk couldn't handle another billionaire getting attention. Since he likes to pretend he's an influencer, he responded to her support in the most grotesque, weird, and straight-up creepy way imaginable.

Musk thinks he is hilarious, yet doesn't realize that most people think he's insufferable. I'd venture to guess that most of his friends only are friends with him because he's rich.

Choosing Joy Over Destruction

I can't wait to be done with this entire election campaign season. As has been the case since Donald Trump came onto the scene in 2016, the Republican messaging has been just plain dark, full of distrust and disdain.

I'm tired of it, and so are many other Americans.

Vice President Harris is offering something more palatable: joy. I am choosing joy over destruction. I'm on the side of social rights, women's rights, economic growth, and dealing in facts over fantasy.

Should Vice President Harris win in November, I'm sure there will be more drama than the previous elections. But, we'll get beyond it at some point, and soon Donald Trump the person will be nothing but a stain on our entire political past. It'll be up to the Republicans to decide if they double-down with Trumpism, or if they too adapt in order to remain relevant.

#politics

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