Moderator Chris Wallace, hands down, won the first 2020 US presidential debate
The questions by Wallace, anchor of “Fox News Sunday,” were sharp to both sides. He was really not partial. He was the big winner. You can’t help respecting journalism seeing the job he did. His work tonight should be studied by and taught for years to students learning journalism. CNN’s commentators, most ABC observers, and others overlooked this success.
I watched the debate life. There is nothing like it. I must say that the fast pace never slowed down (thank you for not having ads interrupting). Time flew. A masterwork by the moderator and his editorial team.
Unfortunately, I’m afraid that the more-left-wing moderators of the next two presidential debates won’t be able to stand up to Trump, the bully. Trump could not go after Wallace (but he tried) because he was really and clearly a fair chair. But he will accuse the next moderators of being ‘the fake news.’ He’ll play the victim and underdog to those moderators. Good luck to them. They should insist on having buttons to mute the candidates’ microphones (and have them stand far-away from any other mike).
The Stammerer vs. the Slick Talker and the Stammerer Won
The runner up in this debate, Trump or Biden?
I would say that Trump really lost from Biden. He was much too aggressive. He trusted his (made-up) old stories to work still. He trusted that he could unsettle Biden by constantly interrupting. It looked bad on Trump.
Trump, over and over again, played the person (Biden) and not the ball, as the Dutch characterize someone who gets personal for no good reason.
Trump tried to win the debate (by reducing Biden), while Biden tried to win the American viewer (reducing Trump to the clown he is).
No, Trump did not ‘lose it.’ No fake craze overcomes con artists. They’re too calculated and cold-hearted for that. They just use it to bully.
Trump, challenged, both by the moderator and his opponent, to outright condemn White supremacist, did not deliver! It was embarrassing, telling.
Biden Won on Two Points: Content and Character
While Trump tried to control the debate, Biden controlled himself. And he didn’t say: look at me doing better than him. He just did it. For all to see.
Biden mentioned a lot of points and never harped on anything. It was a rich critique of the failed Trump administration. A dozen or so major points, he mentioned clearly. And he never reduced it to rehearsing slogans or stories. He didn’t even mention Obama! He really trained.
If someone listened to spot a leader who was dignified and in command, who had sound reasoning and wasn’t a dogmatist, s/he easily found him.
Biden clearly cared about America. Trump clearly cared about his record.
Biden dealt with substance while negative remarks about Trump (he’s a liar, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about) were just stated as asides. He stayed laconic. He never got angry. Instead, he often shook his head and smirked derisively. That worked. He talked, time and again, to the viewers at home, that they count, not the presidency. He also kept saying about Trump: He has no plan. Not only true but also coming across.
Biden’s last large statement was dignified and well formulated. And Trump’s last statement after that was belligerent. Anger is the only thing that definitely makes you look like a looser. And while Trump was riling, Biden looked dignified, though often shaking his head and almost rolling his eyes. The result of hard work preparing for the debate. Hard work–something Trump has never done. He likes to wing it. And it showed. Trump is a one-man-show (a show it is), while Biden stands for teamwork.
But make no mistake: most people will only notice and remember the attitudes of the candidates and not any of their words or arguments.
A few times, Biden shot back and engaged in a shouting match. That was good too. He showed that he’s a leader not to be intimidated. (This also undermined Trump’s false claim that Biden would just obey Bernie Sanders and all the ‘Socialist’ Democrats.) Four years ago, Trump was able to terrorize Clinton in the debate. And today, that was the only strategy he had ready again. Lazy Trump, only doing what worked before. But Biden learned not to repeat Clinton’s vulnerability leaving Trump empty-handed.
The only ball Biden may have dropped was: He failed to say: Trump here proves tonight that he’s a thief. He even steals from my speaking time.
The headlines of the Israeli-English and American-Jewish press were a total failure. They equated the candidates’ performance, claiming they “went on the attack,” “bickered bitterly,” and that the debate was “chaotic.” It’s like saying there’s much animosity between Jews and Nazis. False equivalence masquerading as even-handedness is the worst of journalism! It keeps the real information from the public and thereby nullifies the reporters’ job.
In any case, tonight, Trump sealed his November loss. Thank G^d.
About the Author
MM is a prolific and creative writer and thinker, previously a daily blog contributor to the TOI. He often makes his readers laugh, mad, or assume he's nuts—close to perfect blogging. He's proud that his analytical short comments are removed both from left-wing and right-wing news sites. None of his content is generated by the new bore on the block, AI. *
As a frontier thinker, he sees things many don't yet. He's half a prophet. Half. Let's not exaggerate. Or not at all because he doesn't claim G^d talks to him. He gives him good ideas—that's all. MM doesn't believe that people observe and think in a vacuum. He, therefore, wanted a broad bio that readers interested can track a bit what (lack of) backgrounds, experiences, and educations contribute to his visions. *
This year, he will prioritize getting his unpublished books published rather than just blog posts. Of the 15 (!) books he has in mind, the next two are about homosexuality in Judaism and new rabbinics. Next year, he hopes to focus on activism against human extinction. To find less-recent posts on a subject XXX among his over 2600 archived ones, go to the right-top corner of a Times of Israel page, click on the search icon and search "zuiden, XXX". One can find a second, wilder blog that also may contain updates to Times of Israel posts, to which one may subscribe, here: https://mmvanzuiden.wordpress.com/ or by clicking on the globe icon next to his picture on top. *
He's getting ready to publicize books on: "Free Will, "Judaism and Homosexuality, "His parents in the Holocaust, "Judaism, "A New Torah Translation and "A New Hebrew Grammar, "Co-Counseling, "Vegan Facts, "Immortality, and more. *
Like most of his readers, he believes in being friendly, respectful, and loyal. However, if you think those are his absolute top priorities, you might end up disappointed. His first loyalty is to the truth. He agrees that in a post-truth world, that's irrelevant, but then this is for the record. He will try to stay within the limits of democratic and Jewish law, but he won't lie to support opinions or people when don't deserve that. (Yet, we all make honest mistakes, which is just fine and does not justify losing support.) He admits that he sometimes exaggerates to make a point, which could have him come across as nasty, while in actuality, he's quite a lovely person to interact with. He holds - how Dutch - that a strong opinion doesn't imply intolerance of other views. *
Sometimes he's misunderstood because his wide and diverse field of vision seldomly fits any specialist's box. But that's exactly what some love about him. He has written a lot about Psychology (including Sexuality and Abuse), Medicine (including physical immortality), Science (including basic statistics), Politics (Israel, the US, and the Netherlands, Activism - more than leftwing or rightwing, he hopes to highlight reality), Oppression and Liberation (intersectionally, for young people, the elderly, non-Whites, women, workers, Jews, LGBTQIA+, foreigners and anyone else who's dehumanized or exploited), Integrity, Philosophy, Jews (Judaism, Zionism, Holocaust and Jewish Liberation), the Climate Crisis, Ecology and Veganism, Affairs from the news, or the Torah Portion of the Week, or new insights that suddenly befell him. *
Chronologically, his most influential teachers are his parents, Nico (natan) van Zuiden and Betty (beisye) Nieweg, Wim Kan, Mozart, Harvey Jackins, Marshal Rosenberg, Reb Shlomo Carlebach, and, lehavdil bein chayim lechayim, Rabbi Dr. Natan Lopes Cardozo, Rav Zev Leff, and Rav Meir Lubin. This short list doesn't mean to disrespect others who taught him a lot or a little. One of his rabbis calls him Mr. Innovation [Ish haChidushim]. Yet, his originalities seem to root deeply in traditional Judaism, though they may grow in unexpected directions. In fact, he claims he's modernizing nothing. Rather, mainly basing himself on the basic Hebrew Torah text, he tries to rediscover classical Jewish thought almost lost in thousands of years of stifling Gentile domination and Jewish assimilation. (He pleads for a close reading of the Torah instead of going by rough assumptions of what it would probably mean and before fleeing to Commentaries.) This, in all aspects of life, but prominently in the areas of Free Will, Activism, Homosexuality for men, and Redemption. *
He hopes that his words will inspire and inform, and disturb the comfortable and comfort the disturbed. He aims to bring a fresh perspective rather than harp on the obvious and familiar. When he can, he loves to write encyclopedic overviews. He doesn't expect his readers to agree. Rather, original minds should be disputed. In short, his main political positions are among others: anti-Trumpism, for Zionism, Intersectionality, non-violence, anti those who abuse democratic liberties, anti the fake ME peace process, for original-Orthodoxy, pro-Science, pro-Free Will, anti-blaming-the-victim, and for down-to-earth, classical optimism, and happiness. Read his blog on how he attempts to bridge any tensions between those ideas or fields. *
He is a fetal survivor of the pharmaceutical industry (https://diethylstilbestrol.co.uk/studies/des-and-psychological-health/), born in 1953 to his parents who were Dutch-Jewish Holocaust survivors who met in the largest concentration camp in the Netherlands, Westerbork. He grew up a humble listener. It took him decades to become a speaker too, and decades more to admit to being a genius. But his humility was his to keep. And so was his honesty. Bullies and con artists almost instantaneously envy and hate him. He hopes to bring new things and not just preach to the choir. *
He holds a BA in medicine (University of Amsterdam) – is half a doctor. He practices Re-evaluation Co-counseling since 1977, is not an official teacher anymore, and became a friendly, powerful therapist. He became a social activist, became religious, made Aliyah, and raised three wonderful kids. Previously, for decades, he was known to the Jerusalem Post readers as a frequent letter writer. For a couple of years, he was active in hasbara to the Dutch-speaking public. He wrote an unpublished tome about Jewish Free Will. He's a strict vegan since 2008. He's an Orthodox Jew but not a rabbi. *
His writing has been made possible by an allowance for second-generation Holocaust survivors from the Netherlands. It has been his dream since he was 38 to try to make a difference by teaching through writing. He had three times 9-out-of-10 for Dutch at his high school finals but is spending his days communicating in English and Hebrew - how ironic. G-d must have a fine sense of humor. In case you wonder - yes, he is a bit dyslectic. If you're a native English speaker and wonder why you should read from people whose English is only their second language, consider the advantage of having an original peek outside of your cultural bubble. His posts are spell, grammar, and style polished by AI, but all written by himself. *
To send any personal reaction to him, scroll to the top of the blog post and click Contact Me. *
His newest books you may find here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AMoshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&s=relevancerank&text=Moshe-Mordechai%2FMaurits+van+Zuiden&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1
