Debate Could Be One of the 'More Consequential' in History

Millions of Americans plan to spend part of their Thursday night watching two unpopular elderly men argue about which one of them should run the country. Going into the CNN debate between President Biden and Donald Trump, the share of voters with negative views of both candidates is the highest in decades, Politico reports. But while "hate-watchers" will have low expectations, this election will be decided at the margins and the debate "may be one of the more consequential in American history," says former Barack Obama strategist David Axelrod. More:

• What to watch for. The New York Times predicts that Biden will "try to pin Trump down on abortion," while Trump will target the border as Biden's weak spot. Voters will also be watching for signs of frailty in Biden—and uncontrolled rage in Trump. "Whatever one-liner Mr. Biden unfurls to defuse questions around his age and competence will be among the most scrutinized of the debate," the Times predicts.

• The rules. Under rules released by CNN earlier this month, the candidates will be at lecterns eight feet apart during the 90-minute debate in Atlanta. There will be no audience and they will be faced only by moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, the Hill reports. Candidates' microphones will be muted while the other candidate is speaking.
• Firsts. This is the earliest presidential debate in history and the first to be hosted by a single news outlet since the campaigns both ditched the Commission on Presidential Debates, the AP reports. It will also be the first time Biden and Trump have shared a stage since 2020. "You have two men that have not debated in four years," says Democratic consultant Phillippe Reines. The candidates "don't like each other, haven't seen each other, (are) pretty rusty heading into the biggest night of their lives," Reines says. "That about sums up what's at stake on Thursday."
• How to watch. CNN says the debate will air live at 9pm Eastern "on CNN, CNN International and CNN en Español, and via streaming on Max for subscribers and without a cable login on CNN.com." The network says it will also "make the debate available to simulcast on additional broadcast and cable news networks."
• What strategists want to see. Democratic strategists say Biden is likely to try to steer the conversations toward issues about freedom, including voting rights and abortion rights—but given his overall unpopularity, they say he should focus on plans for his second term, not his record, the Washington Post reports. Republicans strategists say Trump should talk about "pocketbook issues" instead of focusing on grievances like the last election. "Talking about retribution is unnecessary," says strategist Jesse Hunt. " It distracts from the real differences he has with Biden, and that is what independents care about."

• "Incredibly low" expectations. "Trump has not helped his own cause by setting expectations for his opponent incredibly low," writes Rozina Sabur at the Telegraph. "His claims that Mr Biden can barely find the debate stage have paved the way for the Biden camp, and Washington's punditry, to claim the president had a triumphant performance if he can simply sound coherent for 90 minutes." Trump has also, however, claimed that Biden will be "jacked up." He has called for drug tests in what the Guardian describes as an "apparent 'pre-bunking' exercise designed to have his excuses ready-made if he is declared the loser."
• The view from overseas. At the BBC, eight foreign correspondents discuss how the Biden-Trump rematch is being viewed. According to Beijing correspondent Laura Bicker, China doesn't have a favorite—authorities worry that Trump could worsen a trade war, and Biden could start a Cold War.
• Notable quote. "Everybody who is watching this debate is just a complete masochist," says Tricia McLaughlin, former senior adviser to Vivek Ramaswamy, per Politico. "But that's just American politics right now."

(More presidential debate stories.)