Webb: Political Reality Check

There are a lot of big arguments underway in our political discourse as I write this.

On the public stage, in media and social media, the big discussion is the race for the White House between Donald J. Trump and Joe Biden. What is not so obvious is that over and above the presidency is the binary choice I have written about, American versus radicalism.

America, and that means you the voter, has a fundamental decision to make. Going forward and largely based on the next president, who will be president-elect on Nov. 3, will be the choice to keep moving forward in a positive direction that reflects the evolution of this country for the better or to return to the past policies that have failed, led by a Democrat party that has failed to remain the Democratic Party of old.

There is a clear difference between the conservative model, which is a gradual change as a nation grows, and the leftists who have not just a burning desire, but are willing to burn the country starting with your neighborhoods to achieve a radical change. The desire for radical change does not allow for the necessary public debate and choice of what the country should be. The outcome is all the left progressives seek and only obedience or “be canceled” is required of you.

These battle lines were drawn a long time ago and take different forms as times change and new generations come into play. Let’s not forget the group that all too often stands aside but outside their respective political parties. There are elitists who think themselves above all of us and therefore capable of making decisions which we all must live with. It should come as no surprise that they exist in both major political parties, but remember they still stand outside of the election cycle arguments that too many in America engage in.

These elites have seen a threat emerge in the form of Donald Trump. It’s not that Trump is not a politician and if you put aside style and look at the substance of his actions and successes he has become adept at getting things done in the political environment while maintaining a more businesslike approach. You don’t have to like his policies, but you can’t deny effectiveness in the form of laws passed, judges appointed, regulations reduced and an ongoing and successful opportunity zone project to help poverty-stricken areas of America and the victims of past failures.

For too long we have had a system, it seemed, more reliant on the ongoing debate, produced an occasional short-term solution and rarely one for the long term. In the political world and the support system that relies on it, it’s important all too often to not solve the foundation of a problem.

On Sept. 29 Donald Trump will face his challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden, at Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. There will be six 15-minute segments with each segment dedicated to a particular topic. The moderator Chris Wallace, host of “Fox News Sunday” has selected the topics. The Supreme Court battle to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the economy, coronavirus pandemic, race and violence in American cities that has devolved into riots are main topics. Election integrity, which will include mail-in ballots, is also a hot topic.

The records of each candidate will be compared. Biden has been in the United States Senate for 36 years, then eight years as vice president, while Donald Trump the businessman has been president of the United States just shy of four years. Maybe not so clever a turn of phrase but rounding up for both men this is essentially 44 years of Joe Biden versus 48 months of Donald Trump.

The debate rules matter. The moderator cannot interrupt once the question is asked and the candidate has 90 seconds to respond. Rebuttals are limited to 30 seconds. Of course, as in any political debate a question is asked but candidates often choose to answer with the issue they wish to present. Let’s see how closely the candidates stick to the rules.

For my part, I’ve always preferred a Lincoln-Douglas style debate in which one of those 15-minute segments was devoted to letting both men debate each other directly without interruption.

There are two more debates planned next month, on Oct. 15 and Oct. 22. The vice presidential nominee Sen. Kamala Harris of California will debate Vice President Pence in Salt Lake City on Oct. 7. I think it’s safe to say that the ratings of these four debates will beat the NFL who have knelt to Black Lives Matter.

Politics is the sport that affects all of our present and future. I suggest you pay attention and do your own fact checking.

Webb is host of “The David Webb Show” on SiriusXM Patriot 125, host of “Reality Check with David Webb” on Fox Nation, a Fox News contributor and a frequent television commentator. His column appears twice a month in The Hill.