 Such was the carnage that the commission that runs presidential debates said Wednesday it would change the formats of the next two presidential debates. “Last night’s debate made clear that additional structure should be added to the format of the remaining debates to ensure a more orderly discussion of the issues,” said the CommissiononPresidential Debates, without specifying what changes it would make. It also made a point of thanking the maligned Wallace for “the professionalism and skill he brought to last night’s debate.” AdvertisementArticle content continuedMORE ON THIS TOPIC Stephen Colbert eviscerates Biden-Trump debate as 'the idiot who shouts the loudest' Google searches for 'move to Canada' skyrocket during U.S. presidential debateWith Trump spending a considerable part of the debate interrupting both Wallace and Biden, there was extensive time spent with both candidates speaking over each other, ultimately making it difficult to hear any cohesive thoughts on either side. Wallace meekly attempted to moderate Trump’s countless, loud interjections, telling him at one point, “I think that the country would be better served if we allowed both people to speak with fewer interruptions. I’m appealing to you, sir, to do that.” Trump did not. In fact, at one point, so exasperated was he that Biden snapped at Trump, “Will you shut up, man? This is so unpresidential.” At another point, he said, “It’s hard to get a word in with this clown.” Part of the problem for Wallace may be that he had hoped to be something of an “invisible” figure on Tuesday night. On Fox News on Sunday, via the Washington Post, he went as far as saying, “If I’ve done my job right, at the end of the night, people will say, ‘That was a great debate, who was the moderator?'” If that sounds ludicrous, that’s because it is. A moderator is an essential piece in a political debate, a kind of referee meant to be seen and heard. If neither of these happen, structure is lost, falsehoods are spread and key points can be entirely missed. And on Tuesday night, all of this was thrown to the dogs. CNN’s Dana Bash called the debate a “shit show,” while NBC’s Lester Holt called it “a low-point in political discourse,” and CNN’s Jake Tapper called it “a hot mess, inside a dumpster fire, inside a train wreck.” AdvertisementArticle content continuedIt’s no easy job for anyone to moderate someone like Trump, who follows that age-old rhetoric: if you talk the loudest, you win. This style, at several points, resulted in all three men on stage shouting at equal volume at the very same time making for a, frankly, laughable debate. With a docile Wallace repeatedly and politely asking Trump to “please let him speak” and gently reminding him, “I’m the moderator of this debate and I would like you to let me ask my question,” it was as if the news anchor were standing in front of a tornado asking it to kindly step aside. Trump naturally said at one point, “I guess I’m debating you, not (Biden), I’m not surprised.” Wallace seemed aware that he’d lost control when Biden said of Trump, “I can’t remember everything he was ranting about.” Wallace sheepishly responded, “I’m having trouble myself.” As if, by that point in the night, there weren’t enough reasons to be concerned. For many viewers, moments like this likely suggested Trump was indeed “winning,” simply by drowning out Biden and Wallace, and leaving both confused with how to move forward. By the way, Wallace didn’t just struggle when it came to yanking on Trump’s leash, but in introducing each talking point. Take, for example, when he opened one segment by saying, “I’m gonna ask a question about race, but if you want to answer about something else, go ahead.” As Stephen Colbert succinctly assessed on the Late Show that night, “Chris Wallace, restating America’s official position on racism.” AdvertisementArticle content continuedOne would think if anyone were pleased by the debate debacle, it would be Trump, who seemed to spit every thought in his head into the mic, unrestrained. But after the program, he posted a series of tweets criticizing the news anchor, including a meme showcasing himself, versus Biden, versus Wallace. He also retweeted several posts demanding Wallace apologize to Americans for his performance, and saying that “he personified why the American public at large distrust the media.” https://nationalpost.com/entertainment/television/republicans-and-democrats-agree-chris-wallace-should-never-moderate-a-debate-again |
Mojo’s display is designed to be useful, not flashy. [Photos: courtesy of Mojo]This audacious idea is part of a much larger trend. In the coming decade, it’s likely that our computing devices will become more personal and reside closer to—or even inside—our bodies. Our eyes are the logical next stop on the journey. Tech giants such as Apple and Facebook are just now trying to build AR glasses that are svelte enough to wear for extended periods. But Mojo is skipping over the glasses idea entirely, opting for the much more daunting goal of fitting the necessary microcomponents into contact lenses.
