Thread by @jenmercieca

Trump attempts to wield conspiracy against Biden, to put him off his debate prep by intimidation, and to explain away his inevitable debate loss.

"Strongly demanding," he says? But conspiracy doesn't end with "proof" or "evidence"--so if Biden takes & passes the drug test, Trump won't stop accusing Biden of cheating somehow. Remember when Obama produced his birth certificate? Did that end Trump's birther quest? Nope.

Here's my #PresidentialDebate preview:

The Trump-Biden match up will be more contentious than the Trump-Clinton match up because both candidates will likely come out as brawlers. Clinton had to worry about debating as a woman and her "likability," whereas Biden doesn't.

Biden has shown that he's willing to be aggressive when he needs to and I think we'll see him match Trump's aggressiveness. Emotions are very high on both sides. The interest in these debates is extraordinary.

But, voters have already made up their minds, so they won't be watching to learn new information, they'll be watching to cheer and boo and they'll be expecting a spectacle. So the pressure is really on for both Trump and Biden.

These heightened expectations for their performance might push the candidates to be even more aggressive, to play to the audience. However, due to the limited live debate audience, the candidates may have difficulty "playing to the crowd."

Trump, in particular, feeds off of audience reaction. He's like a child who acts out in class. It works well when he performing for his classmates, but it doesn't work so well in the Principal's office.

Trump claims that Biden is going to cheat, but Trump has always cheated at debate. He cheats by violating debate rules. He's aggressive--using ad hominem attacks, ad baculum threats & more. Trump uses the kind of rhetoric that would disqualify a high school or collegiate debater.

Trump is typically over confident in his ability to wing it. He likes to think that his gut instincts are better than the expertise. He likely thinks he knows all he needs to because he's the incumbent.

He likely thinks he gets enough debate practice by answering reporters' questions. That might be true, he isn't a typical debater. He doesn't care if he doesn't have the correct information or a solid argument. He looks at these debates as an opportunity to spin, not educate.

Trump may have some trouble because he is underestimating Biden's abilities. Biden is a solid debater, and can be a brawler if he needs to be--matching Trump's aggression. I imagine Biden will call out Trump's lies and spin.

We will likely hear Biden say, "Come on, man" to Trump, challenging his authority. Trump doesn't handle humiliation well, so Biden may be able to put Trump on tilt. Biden's best strategy is to treat Trump like a ridiculous bully, which will enrage Trump and thrill Biden's fans.

Now, is that good, productive debate that will help the nation to solve problems? No, it definitely is not. But, let's be honest, we're way too far past that at this point.

We're too far gone with partisanship for a real policy debate. Trump doesn't debate, he breaks the rules.

My great hope is that someone--either Biden or a moderator--holds Trump accountable for his words and actions. I want to see someone tell Trump that the way that he mocks, lies, threatens, distracts, etc. are threats to the nation. They are.