Editorial: Weaknesses shown on debate stage

THIS IS A WMUR EDITORIAL SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE EDITORIAL BOARD, WMUR PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER ANDREW ANDREW VREES. THE UNITED STATES HAS ALWAYS BEEN A LEADER AROUND THE WORLD. WE’VE STEPPED IN WHEN OTHERS HAVE NOT. WE’VE LED THE WAY WHEN OTHERS HAVE FOLLOWED. WE’VE BEEN THE ENVY OF THE WORLD. THE GOLD STANDARD OF DEMOCRACY, THE MOST POWERFUL COUNTRY ON THE PLANET. ON THURSDAY NIGHT, ON A DEBATE STAGE, ON THE WORLD STAGE, WE SHOWED OUR GREATEST WEAKNESSES. WHERE TO BEGIN? PRESIDENT BIDEN OFTEN RESEMBLED A DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS. HE FUMBLED AND STUMBLED. HIS ANSWERS PLAGUED BY INCOMPLETE THOUGHTS AND SENTENCES. HE LOOKED AND SOUNDED FRAIL. FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP REPEATED LIES, DODGED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE JANUARY SIX INSURRECTION AND RELENTLESSLY MOCKED PRESIDENT BIDEN. THERE WAS TAWDRY TALK OF SEX WITH -- STARS AND THE FELONY CONVICTIONS OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT, AND THE CONVICTION OF THE CURRENT PRESIDENT’S SON. THE CANDIDATES WERE EVEN BICKERING OVER THEIR GOLF GAMES, AND IN BETWEEN ALL THAT, THERE WAS SOME DEBATE ABOUT ABORTION, THE SAFETY OF OUR BORDERS, TARIFFS AND TRADE, INFLATION AND ISRAEL, GAZA AND UKRAINE. THOSE ARE THE TOPICS THAT SHOULD BE GETTING OUR COLLECTIVE ATTENTION. BUT THEY’LL BE JUST FOOTNOTES IN WHAT WAS AN UNMITIGATED EMBARRASSMENT. I KNOW MANY OF YOU WALKED AWAY THINKING, CAN’T WE DO BETTER? OUR MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES ARE FAILING US. THE DEMOCRATS HAVE KNOWN PRESIDENT BIDEN’S AGE WAS HIS GREATEST LIABILITY. SO WHY DIDN’T THEY FIND SOMEONE ELSE? I KNOW, EASIER SAID THAN DONE. REPUBLICANS HAVE KNOWN FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP’S LEGAL TROUBLE CONSPIRACY THEORIES AND REPEATED FALSEHOODS WOULD TURN OFF MODERATES AND INDEPENDENTS, BUT THEY STAYED THE COURSE. THE PARTIES ARE ALLOWING TWO MEN TO DICTATE AND DETERMINE THIS COUNTRY’S FUTURE. A WEAK OR CORRUPT, FEEBLE OR DISHONEST PRESIDENT IS A DANGER. IT WEAKENS US. IT PUTS US IN DANGER FROM OUR ENEMIES. IT PUTS OUR DEMOCRACY IN DANGER. OUR ENEMIES MUST BE CELEBRATING RIGHT NOW. THE REST OF THE WORLD MUST BE SHAKING THEIR HEADS. AND IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ANY OF THIS, WATCH THE ENTIRE DEBATE AND THEN LET US KNOW HOW YOU FEEL. SEND YOUR COMMEN