Who won the final Presidential debate?

[Alben Barkley]

I still can’t believe this exchange actually happened:

Trump:

Who the hell are you?

Joe Biden:

You know. You all know exactly who I am. Say my name.

Trump:

Do what? I don't... I don't have a damn clue who the hell you are.

Joe Biden:

Yeah, you do. I'm the Veep. I'm the man who beat Bernie Sanders.

Trump:

Bulls—t. Media got Sanders.

Joe Biden:

Are you sure? [Trump looks at Kamala and Kamala shakes her head.] That's right. Now, say my name.

Trump:

[quietly] Diamond Joe.

Joe Biden:

You're goddamn right.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

Any prediction for the CNN and other instapolls?

[Hammy]

Chuck Todd has already said Trump "stopped the bleeding" which I imagine will be how most people spin Trump's performance. Which translates to not a win but not a disaster like the first debate.

A wash.

Amazing anybody can think this after the second half of the debate. And again, that's going to look a hell of a lot worse now than had his performance been garbage from the start.

[Horsemask]

Honestly, it seemed pretty even to me. I don't think it changes much.

[BudgieForce]

Any prediction for the CNN and other instapolls?

Probably slightly better for Trump than last time. 60/40 for Biden would be my guess.

[pbrower2a]

Trump simply went to his old talking points and blamed Obama for everything that went wrong It's not as bad as the travesty that was the first debate, but that is a very low standard.

[Buzz]

This thread is just “Which candidate do I support?”

[GeorgiaModerate]

Honestly, it seemed pretty even to me. I don't think it changes much.

I tend to agree.  Most significantly, it wasn't the game changer that Trump needed.

[Storr]

Trump simply went to his old talking points and blamed Obama for everything that went wrong It's not as bad as the travesty that was the first debate, but that is a very low standard.

Railing on Biden about being a politician when you've been President for the last three and a half years was an odd disconnect for me.

[MillennialModerate]

This thread is just “Which candidate do I support?”

Wrong.

I couldn’t loathe Trump more.

But the debate was Tilt Trump till the end when Biden coughed it up on the Oil comment.

[ProgressiveModerate]

We get it; Trumps supporters generally think Trump won while Biden supporters think Biden won. Overall, it’s probably close to a net wash based on how few undecides there are, but that is inherently good for Biden since this was one of Trumps last opportunities to close the gap

[GeorgiaModerate]

This thread is just “Which candidate do I support?”

Not entirely.  Everyone knows I support Biden, but I'd call it a wash; before the "transition from oil" comment (which is what a lot of the media will focus on) I had Biden ahead.

[Asta]

Biden did better than last time but so did Trump.

Biden clearly won but credit to Trump for acting less unhinged.

[Hammy]

This thread is just “Which candidate do I support?”

Wrong.

I couldn’t loathe Trump more.

But the debate was Tilt Trump till the end when Biden coughed it up on the Oil comment.

So that's somehow on par or worse than gleeing over parents of immigrants going missing or calling Hispanics "low IQ?"

This thread is just “Which candidate do I support?”

Not entirely.  Everyone knows I support Biden, but I'd call it a wash; before the "transition from oil" comment (which is what a lot of the media will focus on) I had Biden ahead.

Oil is not an infinite resource and there absolutely needs to be a plan to move away from such heavy dependence on it while we still have enough to maintain things in the meantime.

[Illiniwek]

Any prediction for the CNN and other instapolls?

I'll say 53-43. It will be roughly the same as how the population is polling in general.

[Alben Barkley]

This thread is just “Which candidate do I support?”

Wrong.

I couldn’t loathe Trump more.

But the debate was Tilt Trump till the end when Biden coughed it up on the Oil comment.

Yeah, the real question is “Which candidate do I support, unless I’m a self-loathing hysterical doomer?”

[Gass3268]

This thread is just “Which candidate do I support?”

We generally do a good job at picking the polling winner.

[BudgieForce]

I don't think the transition from Oil comment was that bad. I'm sure if you polled it, there wouldn't be a clear majority of American's who support or oppose transitioning away from it.

[Horus]

This thread is just “Which candidate do I support?”

Wrong.

I couldn’t loathe Trump more.

But the debate was Tilt Trump till the end when Biden coughed it up on the Oil comment.

So that's somehow on par or worse than gleeing over parents of immigrants going missing or calling Hispanics "low IQ?"

They want a horserace but they can't use the Hunter stuff because it's ineffective outside the base. This comment might not be.

[PSOL]

Uncle Joe

[Admiral Stockdale]

It was a wash...  nobody scored a knockout... and Trump needed one, badly.

Biden was a little weak at the end and rambled a bit throughout, but I don't think there was anything fatal.  I thought he ended very well with that last statement on inclusiveness on a forward looking vision.

Trump didn't seek to expand his base at all (and he needed to).  He really needs to reach out to new voters and be somewhat empathetic.

[Hammy]

This thread is just “Which candidate do I support?”

Wrong.

I couldn’t loathe Trump more.

But the debate was Tilt Trump till the end when Biden coughed it up on the Oil comment.

So that's somehow on par or worse than gleeing over parents of immigrants going missing or calling Hispanics "low IQ?"

They want a horserace but they can't use the Hunter stuff because it's ineffective outside the base. This comment might not be.

Again, oil is not a limitless resource. We either transition away or we run out and have a global crisis. Most people know this and it's been talked about for the better part of 20 years now.

[Rand]

I don't think the transition from Oil comment was that bad. I'm sure if you polled it, there wouldn't be a clear majority of American's who support or oppose transitioning away from it.

Biden will be able to skillfully correct course if it does become an issue. He said “transition from oil” not “put oil workers out of business.”

[Gass3268]

This thread is just “Which candidate do I support?”

Wrong.

I couldn’t loathe Trump more.

But the debate was Tilt Trump till the end when Biden coughed it up on the Oil comment.

This is really outdated thinking. Majority of Americans favor moving away from fossil fuels. Even the energy companies know this and why they are transitioning to more renewables.

https://twitter.com/daveweigel/status/1319470882130137088?s=20

[OBD]

Biden didn't lose. Therefore, he won.