The two primary contenders for the presidency of the United States — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump — will debate on Thursday, June 27, in front of a national television audience on CNN for the first of two presidential debates.
If the past is any indication, millions of people will tune in. A significant number of them don’t merely want to listen to the candidates debate immigration, climate change or gun control, important as those issues are to the country. They want to see how the candidates perform, in real time, on the national stage without teleprompters, talking points, and fawning audiences.
They will be assessing the candidates’ mental and behavioral states. Are they able to think on their feet under pressure and respond to questions in focused and substantive ways? Do they have a grasp of the challenges facing the country? Can they present cogent arguments as to why they want to be president for an additional four years? And are they up to the job both intellectually and temperamentally.
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