• Kamala Harris’ campaign is demanding that microphones stay unmuted at the next debate.
  • It’s a break from Joe Biden, who insisted on microphone muting at the June 27 debate.
  • It indicates the vice president thinks outbursts from Trump would end up benefiting her.
  • qprimed@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    just me, or is this the most muscular feeling dem campaign in a loooong time?

    they are taking every opportunity to shine light into dark gop crevices, including the roach infested crevice of trumps mind.

    the smell republican blood in the water is a helluva drug.

    • I can’t wait until that first week of November when Beyoncé and Taylor Swift show up to help get out the vote.

      I was one of those that thought Joe Biden should stay in the race. And I’m so glad to be wrong.

      • The Snark Urge@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        I was telling people we don’t really have a choice, since it’s ultimately something he gets to decide. I was surprised that he turned the pressure campaign into a fait accompli for Harris - which I doubt was the response they were hoping for.

      • samus12345@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        I thought he should stay in the race because I also thought the Democrats were incapable of immediately coalescing behind another single candidate. If I had know they were capable of it, I would have been all for it.

      • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Except McCain still has more character in his dead pinky toe than Trump has in his entire body. For example, McCain told a lady to her face that Obama wasn’t a secret Muslim, and called for unity and respect in his concession speech.

  • moon@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    There have been enough reports of Trump privately calling Kamala a b*tch that there’s a strong possibility he could snap and use that word if she starts to embarrass him. There’s also a non-zero chance of him using some other slur or just saying weird racist things

    • rhombus@sh.itjust.works
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      2 months ago

      I’m willing to bet that’s the goal on Harris’ part. The Democrats have finally found that the way to unravel him is just belittle him rather than giving him any measure of power. If the debate goes forward unmuted, she just has to be dismissive and call him weird/old/whatever and I guarantee he’ll fly off the handle.

    • dhork@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      He was able to keep it contained against Hillary back in the day and just called her a “nasty woman”. He will have no such restraint with Harris. I’m expecting him to say he will “see you next Tuesday”, like he did with that lawyer. It’s the type of thing an edgy twelve year old would say, which is why I expect him to say it.

    • linearchaos@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I am sure that she has studied everything that he said about Clinton and all of his tactics and is just ready to tear him apart. That said I suspect his plan will be just to talk solidly and not give anyone a chance to say anything. The more noise he puts up and doesn’t answer any questions The less that he can get into trouble.

      I also suspect if it starts going poorly for him he just walks off stage.

      • Bakersfield@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        I also suspect if it starts going poorly for him he just walks off stage.

        That would be great! Imagine the commercials:

        • [showing a clip of Trump storming off stage] “Do you want a president that runs away when things get difficult or do you want a leader?” [cut to Harris dominating the debate]

        Edit: typo

    • GladiusB@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Zero chance. I’m sorry. But he will not call her that to her face. He will say something unhinged for sure. But saying either of those things is far fetched.

  • M500@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    I wonder if it’s to hopefully get him to demand they be muted. Like she’s baiting him to do it.

    • chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I think it’s because she knows he’ll say some outlandish shit when it’s muted and she wants to make sure that when he forgets that he has a live mic, it’s all on tape.

      • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        yup. basically she wants his crazy on full display.

        I’m not sure it’ll work in her favor, but, uh. it’s one way to counter the gish gallop. Just hand them the mic and then mock them later for being a lunatic.

        • foggy@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          It’s actually the best way to handle the Gish Gallop… Let them keep talking.

          Wait for them to say something truly outlandish. Respond by calling out their Gish Gallop, say that you’re only going to respond to the one thing so as to remain focused in the face of their gish gallop, and knock it out of the park.

          Let him throw you meatballs until you find your pitch.

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Yeah, that’s the strategy of the media ever since he came down that stupid gold escalator in 2015. So far, hanging on his every word has only helped him.

      • Eatspancakes84@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Actually I heard this was happening with the Biden debate. No wonder he looked confused when an idiot is standing next to you screaming. I have to say, I hadn’t considered that issue before.

    • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      That’s the only way it’s a good idea. Otherwise, he’ll just keep interrupting her throughout the whole thing and she won’t be able to get a word in edgewise.

      Yes she’s a former prosecutor and thus used to argue for a living but that was a) a long time ago and b) in a highly regulated setting where there’s serious consequences for breaking decorum.

      In a “debate” on a for-profit yellow media outlet, he’s not going to be held in check by the moderator(s) or anyone else and even though most if not all of his blathering is going to be lies, he’s likely going to win by default for being “high energy” or whatever bullshit the corrupt pundit class comes up with to spin his lunacy and childish bullying as a show of strength.

    • That’s how it read to me:

      “The VP is ready to debate Trump live and uncensored,” Harris’ advisor Brian Fallon wrote on X on Monday. “Trump should stop hiding behind the mute button.”

      Fallon suggested that Trump’s campaign would not agree to that condition, writing that Trump “should reject his handlers’ attempts to muzzle him via a muted microphone.”

    • djsoren19@yiffit.net
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      2 months ago

      That’s already what the Trump team is demanding. They want to have mics muted because they realized how much better it made Trump look at the Biden debate.

  • g0nz0li0@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Muted mics make him look like he’s being civil and letting Harris talk.

    Hot mic presents two interesting possibilities:

    1. He tries on his “low IQ” and “she suddenly decided to be black” attack lines and Harris calls him out so he looks like a fucking asshole to the average voter.

    2. He DOESNT try on his “low IQ” and “she suddenly decided to be black” attack lines and Harris calls back to her “say it to my face” line and paints him as a weak coward for the rest of the campaign.

  • Lojcs@lemm.ee
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    2 months ago

    What happens if he just doesn’t stop talking when his turn is over? I thought that was a lesson learned from 2016 or something

    • BananaTrifleViolin@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Trump has cognitively declined since 2016 and is increasingly incoherent and nasty. I think the Dems are gambling that many voters aren’t watching his stump appearances so this is a good way to expose him to voters.

      I think its too big a gamble and mute him. I think he will expose himself enough on his own turns to speak.

      • makuus@pawb.social
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        2 months ago

        I just hope none of this is being planned with the idea that it’ll change the opinion of his most ardent supporters, because he’s said a lot of incoherent and nasty things, and it doesn’t appear to have hurt his chances. Hell, those most negatively impacted by his policies are lining up to vote for him again, to “save” the nation. What are words in the face of that?

        • MagicShel@programming.dev
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          2 months ago

          In the margins are people who will peel away and at least stay home. The people who haven’t seen him speak but think they like him based on the curated perspective from Fox News, etc. there are people who will listen to him unfiltered for the first time in a few years and it will be the last straw.

          • Etterra@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            It’s almost certainly directed at the fence-sitters and undecided. Those kinds of people are so confusing, especially in the present day of info overload. I mean how have you not figured these two out yet? Are you living in a bunker, or are you just that wishy-washy? Like WTF.

            It’s more important to energize the base - which I believe is why they did the DNC like they did. The more people vote overall, the better the Dems tend to do. And dragging everyone out of Biden’s post-debate despair is critical for them.

    • dyathinkhesaurus@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Came here to say this. How will they shut him up? The people who came to hear him talk will want to hear his word salad gospel, no matter how long he yammers for. She won’t be able to get a word in.

      And based on what happened with Hillary Clinton, there should also perhaps be a demand that he stay put at his lectern and not be allowed to walk around the stage/behind her…

    • djsoren19@yiffit.net
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      2 months ago

      Harris isn’t a smug elitist nor a doddering old fool. She’ll cut him off and dress him down.

    • foggy@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I think how poorly his recent ramblings have gone… That’s exactly what they’re hoping for.

    • Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      The more he talks, the less time they will have to ask questions and the less likely foreign policy will come up in an environment where “shut up” isn’t met with cheers.

  • Uncle_Abbie@lemmy.today
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    2 months ago

    Comedian Ron White used to tell a story about being arrested for public intoxication, saying “I had the right to remain silent, I just didn’t have the ability.”

    This seems like the same thing playing out in real life. All Donald has to do is not talk when it isn’t his turn, and his team is afraid that’s beyond his ability.

  • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    It doesn’t matter what he says, we’ve heard it all before. He’s a one-trick pony.

    The problem is that he’s going to gish gallop and lead the conversation by trying to get Harris to be the one trying to disprove all his bullshit. It’s a major MO in republican discussion to spew bullshit in bad faith that wastes the time of the opponent who is attempting to have an actual conversation and tries to reasonably refute the bullshit. The bullshit is reductionist, sensationalist, and full of feels, so it gets attention vs. the actual facts which tend to be the exact opposite. Trump will absolutely talk all over her, interrupt, and just be an asshole.

    So trump’s mic should absolutely be shut off. He wastes time and opportunity for Harris to state her platform.

    Plus, I think being unable to be heard really pisses him off. So I’m all for that, too.

    • Red_October@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      The problem is that muting his mic when it’s not his turn to talk doesn’t keep him from spewing rampant bullshit when it IS his time to talk.

      • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Of course!

        But it keeps him from spewing rampant bullshit over his opponent.

        Lesser of two evils? He’s gonna be a tool no matter what, just minimize his opportunity to do so.

        • vxx@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          She can interrupt him as well when he’s lying. Biden just had to listen.

          It benefits the smarter and more coherent person when mics are unmuted, if played correctly.

        • Red_October@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          The question becomes whether or not that interrupting bullshit stream actually harms him more than it helps.

          • RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            Ok. I already know I dislike trump and will not be voting for him. It think most people at this point, if they aren’t absolute troglodytes living under a rock, already know trump’s behavior. If it hasn’t already cemented his idiocy in their minds, I don’t think one more minute on TV will change that.

            One of the only pieces of political TV I watch is the debate because I’d like to hear what their points are. I rarely make it all the way through a debate because I’m usually disgusted by both participants’ behavior and performance.

            I absolutely despise the childish talking-over each other, over-running of alotted time, and failure to answer questions.

            Forcing the silence of participants alleviates the talking over, overrunning, and at least allows the participants time to form an answer - if they don’t waste time bickering.

    • lagomorphlecture@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      It clearly isn’t her plan to refute his lies and lend credence to the ridiculous things he says. It’s probably to say “what? That doesn’t even make sense … Lol he’s still talking… Haha he just keeps ranting and those aren’t even words.” Or something. I obviously don’t know her exact plan but she understands that standing there trying to fact check him won’t work.

  • Binzy_Boi@piefed.social
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    2 months ago

    Honestly fantastic choice. The more he talks over people and interrupts, the more unhinged and insensible he appears to the average voter. Political commentator I watch regularly has been saying this for months to leave his mic on at the debate rather than mute him.

    • 2000mph@lemmy.world
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      I didn’t know about the muted mics at the last debate so when I saw all the highlights I was surprised how calm and respectful Trump was to Biden. I couldn’t understand it, I thought maybe he was being kind and had some sympathy to Biden due to his ill state at the time.

      But then I remembered who the F he is and now I know his mic was muted it all makes sense. I’m surprised he didn’t just try shouting anyway over the muted mic.

      But just watching those highlights in isolation without that knowledge it almost… kinda almost made him seem human.

      So definitely, unmute the mics so we see the real Trump and let him implode.

      • xenoclast@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        It actually worked for Biden too. I guess he forgot?

        “Will you shut up man!?” Is the only thing I remember from that debate

    • Coelacanth@feddit.nu
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      2 months ago

      That’s what everyone was saying prior to the 2016 debates, but despite shouting over Hillary constantly those were at best a tie but more likely a Trump win on balance.

      I’m not saying it can’t work, but Harris needs to be able to control the room and put Trump in his place by force of personality alone. She needs to bite back and shut him down successfully, and that’s not all that easy to do.

      Taking the high road and “letting him make a fool out of himself” is not gonna work out the way they want.

      • treefrog@lemm.ee
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        2 months ago

        Hillary couldn’t shut Trump down without appearing elitist and smug (because she’s both).

        Harris isn’t Hillary.

      • lagomorphlecture@lemm.ee
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        2 months ago

        She doesn’t need to shut him down she needs to laugh at him. My personal opinion is that’s exactly what she’s planning to do.

    • PhAzE@lemmy.ca
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      2 months ago

      I dunno, it’s going to become just two people talking over each other, and completely useless for viewers. But if she can get under his skin, that’d be awesome.

  • gdog05@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Her campaign team was there to know what Trump was saying when the mic was off during the last debate with Biden. I think they likely have some great insider information on top of the basic strategy. I think they know from experience, not just theory, that he just isn’t in control of himself enough to go that long without embarrassing/racist/misogynistic/whatever outbursts.

    • Asafum@feddit.nl
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      I really hope this is true because when I first heard of this “dilemma” I was kinda mad. My thought was we just argued FOR this and now we want out? Wtf do we have to gain from letting Mr.Shitforspeech run his mouth indefinitely?

  • GiddyGap@lemm.ee
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    2 months ago

    I don’t know. I remember the last time I watched a debate that included Trump and his mic was unmuted. It was completely impossible to follow anything that way said from either candidate. Trump loves chaos, and an unmuted mic enabled him to create chaos.

  • cultsuperstar@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    The debates are kinda BS. The country is clearly divided on who they’re voting for and they’re not changing their minds.

    • samus12345@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Clearly not, since the most recent one is why we have Harris instead of Biden as the candidate.

    • qjkxbmwvz@startrek.website
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      But the goal isn’t just to convince people that you’re better than the other candidate — it’s to convince sympathetic people to get out and vote for you, and if not that, then at least not vote for the other.

      I think people are largely decided on who they are not voting for, but who they are voting for is a bit different.

      • xenoclast@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        I think this is key. It’s an opportunity to grab people’s attention and motivate the to vote.

    • Wogi@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      The election is a circus, the candidates are Carneys. They have great games and fabulous prizes, they just need your vote.