We always knew that there was more for the President to disrupt and along came the debates. As he has chaotically attacked everything from NATO to normal presidential behavior, he decided the debates were his newest reality show and he gave them and the public the back of his hand.
His performance was so bizarre that I think he will now lose badly.
As most of you who have read these musings know, I have believed from before the coronavirus that the President would lose. I based that on the belief that he was incapable of allowing the campaign to be about anything but himself and, as a referendum on himself, he would lose.
I assumed he would be disruptive and crude in the debate. He wildly exceeded my expectations. While his base may love his behavior, I think it scared the hell out of most Americans.
So now Republicans have to understand the ramifications of the Faustian bargain that they made. They are supporting a candidate who refuses to agree to a peaceful transfer of power, has already questioned the validity of the election with no evidence because he believes he will lose, and not only fails to denounce white supremacists, but encourages them. They are complicit in this with their silence and there will be an accounting by the American people.
They have demonstrated a lack of fitness by clinging to party over country and their own political careers over decency. It is sad to see the demise of the Republican Party as we knew it because of the political cowardice of its leaders. This should be a cautionary tale for the Democrats as well.
From This Corner 
I agree that Trump’s performance at the “debate” was horrifying. But not surprising. He has shown and told us who he is for the last 5 years, or longer for many of us. It seems irrational that he could be elected for a second term. But, it also seemed impossible for George W. Bush, after 9/11 and the botched invasion of Iraq, to be re-elected. Never over-estimate the intelligence and decency of the U.S. citizenry.
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Left to the side during this conversation are the millions of voters who support Trump. Those who care about taxes ONLY will vote for him because the end justifies the means. Those, including many evangelicals, who care only about abortion or guns will vote for him because the end justifies the means. And those who are racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, xenophobic, et al, will vote for him because he talks and acts like them. Those voters will re-elect him, their senators, representatives, governors , etc., and the sycophants know it. What Secretary Clinton referred time as the basket of deplorables are the real problem—even more so than those they elect. What do we do to convince them of the error of their ways?
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