Biden vs. Trump debate: Interviews with the nation's top officials

A presidential campaign is sometimes likened to a job interview, with voters acting as the hiring committee and debates as in-person visits to the office.

But we already know Joe Biden and Donald Trump, and to know whether they will uphold the Constitution, how they will handle a crisis, or if they have the character or temperament, we can look to their records in the offices they want.

So what is the purpose of this discussion?

First, the debates showcase the candidates' performance skills: presidential demeanor, warmth, and leadership. We've seen both of them perform. Many) offers candidates a chance to overcome stylistic misconceptions among voters who have not previously paid much attention.

And things change when you become president. Ronald Reagan was a well-known incumbent president in 1984, but he was 73 years old and was asked about his age. This is a concern voters told pollsters they have about 81-year-old Joe Biden.

“I am not going to make age an issue in this race,” Reagan said. “I am not going to exploit my opponent's youth and inexperience for political purposes.”

This cliche demonstrated President Reagan's ability to navigate the changing public sentiment he faced during his presidency.

In essence, this debate can reveal not just what the candidates believe, but the core of what they believe. Things change while they're in office. What instincts guide them? What values ​​guide them as they exercise the power that's been bestowed upon them? Is there anything?

Every candidate's nightmare? A gaffe like Ford's 1976 assertion that “Soviet domination of Eastern Europe does not exist, and never will under a Ford administration.”

Soviet did Dominate Eastern Europe. Ford seemed crazy and repeatedly made false claims.

Donald Trump also claims that he won the 2020 election, but that's not a gaffe. lieRepublican leaders in the House and Senate say this lie A violent attempt to thwart the will of the people.

Trump still I tell this lie.

When a candidate makes an argument, can they argue rationally and measure reason? Beyond reason?

The analogy falls apart: it's no longer an interview, it's a hostile takeover that throws most of the hiring committee out of the room.

Story Producer: Michelle Kessel. Editor: Chad Cardin.