Aaron RuparRep. Clyburn on CNN: "I always say that the best predictor of future behavior is past performance. And when you look at the best performance of these two men, we get a lot of indication of what their future behavior should be. Joe Biden should continue to run on his record."
Dana Bash gets a bit defensive after Clyburn criticizes the CNN debate for the lack of fact-checking (Bash was one of the moderators)
Stu Duerson, machina exo deusBash doesn't answer the accusation, she blames Biden. I agree with Clyburn, and add that a Presidential debate is NOT a high school debate. The scoring is different, and the fact checking has to be instituted IN the debate, not as a fact-check segment (one of the 'scoring' metrics) after the fact.
After the fact, the damage is done. And devastating to the truth, which is the whole point of any debate. If it isn't about the truth, it isn't a debate, it is word combat. And that's what we saw, last Thursday.
That said, IF the debate rules were decided between the two political candidates and their teams, and IF those rules EXCLUDED in-debate fact checking, then CNN set up Bash and Tapper like bowling pins. IF those were the parameters, I'd give the job they did a B. otherwise...D. My opinion. Other levers may have been pulled, as well, like the moderators not being able to choose their own questions.
All in all, an absolute goat rope.