Trump and Biden clash was like a fiery literary narrative
This combination of pictures created on September 29, 2020 shows US President Donald Trump (left) and Democratic Presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden squaring off during the first presidential debate at the Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio on September 29, 2020.
What you need to know:
- By some media accounts, President Trump interrupted Biden 73 times.
- Having watched many American presidential debates, Trump and Biden’s first debate was clearly one of the worst debates as the two candidates talked over one another and traded insults in a new low.
“Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements. As a young man of eighteen, he had brought honour to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat. Amalinze was the great wrestler who for seven years was unbeaten, from Umuofia to Mbaino. He was called the Cat because his back would never touch the earth. It was this man that Okonkwo threw in a fight which the old men agreed was one of the fiercest since the founder of their town engaged a spirit of the wild for seven days and seven nights. The drums beat and the flutes sang and the spectators held their breath. Amalinze was a wily craftsman, but Okonkwo was as slippery as a fish in water… In the end, Okonkwo threw the Cat.”
I remembered these words from Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart when I watched the fiery debate clash between American President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden on September 30, 2020.
Unlike in Achebe’s account, however, there was seemingly no Amalinze the Cat nor Okonkwo by the end of the debate; as it was hard to determine a clear winner. That’s debatable, of course, as each man’s supporter probably found reasons to think their candidate won the night. However, the jury is out there on who won the night.
However, just like Achebe’s account of two wrestlers, the two debate antagonists would have made good characters for a spellbinding literary narrative as they went for each other in an epic fight. They were characters who were stark in their contrast, which only made for a spectacular if not bizarre performance.
Outsized characters
Likewise, literature is known for bizarre, confusing and outsized characters. Some are bland, and others are spectacular; with unfettered cool. Some of the elements of a good narrative are conflict and contrast; and the American presidential debate had enough of both.
As expected, President Trump came out careening towards his challenger with threatening bluster, bravado and braggadocio; he attempted to steamroll Biden.
For months, President Trump had been questioning Biden’s mental capabilities; claiming that he couldn’t string coherent sentences together. It could have been President Trump’s strategy to rattle and confuse Biden’s train of thought as he cut him short in mid-sentence, talked over him and lobbed snide remarks as Biden tried to answer questions.
By some media accounts, President Trump interrupted Biden 73 times. This, for someone who stuttered as a child, and still with some residual stutter must have been challenging.
At first, Trump’s bombast seemingly caught Biden by surprise; he sometimes shook his head in disbelief as President Trump wouldn’t even let him talk.
As the debate progressed, Biden seemingly regained his composure, standing his ground and dishing out zingers of his own.
Memorable missile
One of Biden’s memorable missile was, “It’s hard to get any word in with this clown, excuse me, this person,” he said during an exchange about taxes. He then said that President Trump was not smart. The clapback from Trump was swift and brutal: “You were the lowest or almost the lowest in your class. Don’t ever use the word smart with me. Because you know what, there’s nothing smart about you, Joe.”
The debate moderator, Fox News’ Chris Wallace, clearly had a difficult time trying to gain control of the debate and some online commentators joked that maybe he needed to blow an air horn to rein in on a rampaging President Trump who was like a charging elephant.
Having watched many American presidential debates, Trump and Biden’s first debate was clearly one of the worst debates as the two candidates talked over one another and traded insults in a new low.
However, at least there was an attempt to discuss weighty policy issues of taxes, Covid-19, the economy, law and order, climate change and others. That is something the Kenyan political class can borrow from.
The issues
The Trump-Biden debate was disappointing but even with all the relentless bluster, in some aspects, even as the candidates avoided or glossed over issues, at least there was an attempt to discuss the issues.
We can learn a lesson or two as some of our presidential candidates rarely tell us where they stand on any issues: on taxes, healthcare and now the all-important issue about the national debt.
Is there someone committed to reducing the national debt? In how many years? Is there someone committed to reducing taxes? If they do, how will they fund such a plan?
Most of the time, however, we are too divided tribally to even have a debate and an honest discussion on the issues that really matter. We clearly need to change that so that we bring issues that matter to our political discourse instead of cheap narratives and obsession with personality cult. It’s only then that we can start to move towards a more perfect union as a nation.
Our tribalism is a crying shame that must be abandoned so we embrace the Latin maxim, Non sibi sed patriae, meaning “not for self, but for country”. That’s the only way we can build one nation and not the current hodgepodge of different tribes pulling in different directions.
