Biden vs. Trump: Debate Strategies | Pivot

1. KSKara Swisher0:00

   Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are set to face off on Thursday for the earliest presidential debate in modern history, by like a lot. Usually it's September. Uh, the debate, hosted by CNN, uh, moderated by Jake Tapper, Jake Tapper, uh, and Dana Bash, uh, will be the first time, uh, Biden and Trump have gone head-to-head or been in the same room since their last debate in October of 2020. I don't think they like each other. A Marist poll from last week shows a dead heat between the candidates, and actually, uh, Biden was up a little bit. He's been going up a little bit, and including in a Fox News poll, which is making, uh, President Trump loo- former President Trump lose his mind, which is not very far to go. Um, so let's talk about strategery, Scott. Now here you are going into this debate, I talked about it a little bit on Chris- the Chris Wallace show this week, but, um, what is the strategery? Just for some more background, RFK Jr. did not make the cut for the debate, falling short in ballot qualification and polling. He's making a lot of noise. The debate rules, just for people to know, and then I'd love your thoughts on this, no live audience, no props allowed on stage, microphones will be muted when it's not a candidate's turn to speak. I believe they have two minutes. Biden won the coin toss and selected his podium position on the right side of the screen. Trump then chose to have the last word, uh, in closing statements. Um, so- so what do we think? Give me a- give me a what Biden should... This is the question we asked on Chris Wallace, I think it was a good one. Does this- does this setup help which one, from- if you were the marketing guy here figuring out sort of the optics of it, which one do you think this set helps?

2. SGScott Galloway1:30

   Oh, it's total Team Biden, in terms of advantage.

3. KSKara Swisher1:33

   Hmm, interesting.

4. SGScott Galloway1:34

   Uh, Trump is so quick and outrageous on his feet and so plays to the crowd and tickles people's sensors and all that- all that. Him constantly interrupting people, it just throws the other person off, you know, off-kilter. So them shutting off the mic is totally advantageous to Biden. There would be some crazy... I- I think Democrats tend to be a little bit more civil than maybe MAGA people.

5. KSKara Swisher1:57

   Mm-hmm.

6. SGScott Galloway1:57

   He's not gonna show up with a bunch of people who've acc- I mean, do you remember the bullshit-

7. KSKara Swisher2:02

   Yeah, he accused Bill Clinton-

8. SGScott Galloway2:03

   ... with- with- with Secretary Clinton?

9. KSKara Swisher2:04

   Yes, remember Bill Clinton's... Yeah.

10. SGScott Galloway2:05

    So he creates a sideshow and a carnival which throws the other person off their feet. And the strategy here is really simple. Okay, let's talk about the economy. I wouldn't uh, I wouldn't- I wouldn't go to-

11. KSKara Swisher2:16

    All right.

12. SGScott Galloway2:16

    Sorry, go ahead.

13. KSKara Swisher2:17

    Let me get... What is the one thing Biden should avoid and one thing he should lean into, and what is the one thing Trump should avoid and lean into?

14. SGScott Galloway2:24

    Um, if I were- if- if I were, um, if I were Biden, I would stay away from the Trump court cases. I think that people will go there on their own and, um, I don't think he... I think he wants to talk about the economy and bodily autonomy and how he is- he is actually taking action against immigration. I'd go very, very almost conservative and hard right on immigration and say, "And now if the Republicans would only help me solve the crisis at the border." And I would talk about the economy, I would talk about numbers, I would be very kind of adult, almost like an economist. And I would end the debate with the following. Awkward pause, my last question to our viewers tonight after thanking CNN is, "Do you have daughters?" And I would just leave the air empty for a few seconds.

15. KSKara Swisher3:13

    Mm-hmm. Very good. I like that. He's- be- many people think he should not... You know how Reagan did that fantastic, uh, rejoinder bite?

16. SGScott Galloway3:20

    Yeah.

17. KSKara Swisher3:20

    "I'm not gonna let my age take advantaged..." He's not witty like that.

18. SGScott Galloway3:23

    No.

19. KSKara Swisher3:23

    And so he... Should he have a joke in his pocket, though, about his age? If, uh-

20. SGScott Galloway3:27

    Um, I- I don't-

21. KSKara Swisher3:28

    ... if Trump goes there? Because Trump's got some cognitive dingity-dongs happening constantly now.

22. SGScott Galloway3:33

    Yeah, I mean, he should have a couple... He should have pre-packaged two or three, and when someone brings up age, he should come up with, you know, say like, like, "We're- we're, you know, we're- we're both probably consumers of catheters." I would- I would make jokes that-

23. KSKara Swisher3:45

    (laughs)

24. SGScott Galloway3:46

    ... that remind everybody that the guy across the- the stage from me-

25. KSKara Swisher3:49

    Yeah.

26. SGScott Galloway3:49

    ... is also really fucking old, folks. So yeah.

27. KSKara Swisher3:51

    Yeah. Yeah.

28. SGScott Galloway3:52

    You hate us both, whatever- whatever you want to talk about. But him not having a hot mic, um, if I were- if I were, um... And if I were Trump, I would talk a lot about what's happened on universities when Democrats take over institutions and what's happened in Democratically-controlled cities. That's where I would focus if I were-

29. KSKara Swisher4:11

    Crime.

30. SGScott Galloway4:11

    ... if I were, uh, if I were Trump.

Episode duration: 14:08