It was Hillary Clinton who observed of her 2016 presidential campaign rival: 鈥淎 man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons.鈥
All indications from the recent presidential debate are that Donald Trump today is easier to bait than ever. Moreover, his lifelong habit of publicly describing (and apparently believing) scenarios that are not merely false but objectively deranged seems to have worsened.
We鈥檒l spare readers the tired game of 鈥溾 the debate. Suffice to say, most mainstream appear to agree that Kamala Harris鈥 poised performance 鈥 dodgy and devoid of details though it often was 鈥 probably did what she needed it to do in terms of presenting her as a credible candidate to a nation that still doesn鈥檛 know her that well.
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But let鈥檚 talk about the candidate we all know very well.
If there鈥檚 one issue that came out clearly in Tuesday鈥檚 event, it鈥檚 that Trump鈥檚 escalating embrace of dystopian fantasies and bizarre conspiracy theories should in itself be disqualifying for high office.
And the fact that we鈥檙e all somewhat used to it these days doesn鈥檛 make it less dangerous. In fact, it makes it more so.
We offer a thought exercise. Consider the fallout if Harris 鈥 or Clinton, or Barack Obama, or Mitt Romney, or any other national figure of any party 鈥 had ever stood on a presidential debate stage and said anything like this:
鈥 鈥淭hey鈥檙e eating the dogs! The [migrants] that came in 鈥 they鈥檙e eating the cats! 鈥 People on television say, 鈥楳y dog was taken and used for food!鈥欌
鈥⒙犫淸E]xecution after birth, it鈥檚 execution, no longer abortion, because the baby is born 鈥 [They] put the baby aside and then we determine what we want to do with the baby.鈥
鈥⒙犫淸A] lot of these illegal immigrants coming in, they鈥檙e trying to get them to vote. They can鈥檛 even speak English. They don鈥檛 even know what country they鈥檙e in practically. And these people are trying to get them to vote. And that鈥檚 why they鈥檙e allowing them to come into our country.鈥
鈥⒙犫淰iktor Orban, one of the most respected men 鈥 they call him a strong man. He鈥檚 a tough person. Smart. Prime Minister of Hungary. 鈥 He said the most respected, most feared person is Donald Trump.鈥
Needless to say, migrants aren鈥檛 eating house pets, doctors aren鈥檛 engaging in post-birth executions, illegal immigrants aren鈥檛 being shipped in to vote. And Orban is a vicious dictator whose endorsement no rational leader should want.
There鈥檚 so much more: Trump claimed in the debate that crime is rising (it鈥檚 ); that he had record-high economic growth while President Joe Biden had record-high inflation (); that have arrived monthly under Biden (it鈥檚 actually less than half that many total, over Biden鈥檚 entire three-plus years in office, says ); that foreign countries are opening their jails and sending criminals here (an utter fabrication).
And on. And on. And on.
How did rhetoric indicating not just dishonesty but a psychological break with reality get to be so normal in presidential politics that most people are dissecting this debate as if it was about policy and not mental stability? It鈥檚 a question that the media and the public should be pondering deeply.
Harris earned some criticism of her own during the debate 鈥 for glossing over details of her policy plans with glittering generalities, for pivoting away from hard questions about her altered positions 鈥 but all of it was within the range of normal politics. If she suggested at any point that scary brown people from distant lands are coming for Fido, we missed it.
And even on an issue where Harris is legitimately vulnerable 鈥 immigration 鈥 Trump was unable to set aside his epic ego long enough to capitalize on that weakness.
At one point, Harris needled Trump about the size of his campaign rallies, in the most obvious bait-setting imaginable. Trump, when subsequently offered a teed-up chance to get into immigration, veered off course with: 鈥淔irst let me respond as to the rallies 鈥 the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics.鈥
This is the man we want negotiating with crafty foreign leaders in a dangerous world?
Harris鈥 team should be careful about overconfidence. Her generally well-received debate performance was helped immeasurably by her unhinged opponent. Her smiling, optimistic demeanor was a welcome antidote to Trump鈥檚 glowering menace.
But she still owes America more substance about her plans. If she doesn鈥檛 follow up the debate with some serious interviews and/or press conferences, she does a disservice to both her campaign and her country.
Still, no one should lose sight of the real story today: Donald Trump鈥檚 well-established mental and emotional instability is getting worse. As unfit as he was for office the first time around, he鈥檚 more so now.
The man we all saw on the stage in Philadelphia on Tuesday should not be in charge of house pets 鈥 let alone nuclear weapons.