[guest post by Dana]

The debate between Vice-President Kamala Harris and the former president, Donald Trump, is happening tonight:

Tonight’s debate is set to start at 9 p.m. ET and will last for 90 minutes with two commercial breaks. It will be held in Philadelphia — a deep-blue Democratic city — at the National Constitution Center. Pennsylvania is considered a key battleground state in the 2024 election cycle.

The rules for tonight’s debate:

No live audience in the debate room, nixing any opportunity for cheers or jeers during the event.

The candidates will not give an opening statement.

Moderators will be the only ones to ask questions.

Candidates will have two minutes to answer a question, with a two-minute rebuttal, as well as another minute to follow up for clarification. Microphones will only be switched on for the candidate who is answering a question.

A coin flip determined the order of closing statements, which will be two minutes per candidate, as well as the placement of the candidates’ podiums on stage. Trump won the toss, and he chose to give the last closing statement. Harris chose to have her podium appear on the right side of the screen (stage left).

For the duration of the debate, candidates will stand behind their respective podium. They will not be able to have props or pre-written notes with them. Each candidate will be given a pad of paper, a pen and a bottle of water.

There will be two commercial breaks. During that time campaign staff cannot interact with their candidate.

Pre-debate polling:

Decision Desk HQ Presidential Forecast (9/9):

Probabilities:
🟦 Harris: 54% (-2 since last week)
🟥 Trump: 46%

Electoral College Forecast:
🟦 Harris: 226
🟥 Trump: 219
🟨 Tossups: 93

Average Electoral Vote Projection:
🟦 Harris: 276
🟥 Trump: 262

Tossups:
🟨 Pennsylvania: 52%…

— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) September 9, 2024

P.S. I received this text message tonight:

—Dana

UPDATE: Garry Kasparov spoke for me last night:

I can’t vote in the US but I am honored to live here and have always admired it. I don’t much care for Harris or many of her policy positions. But even more after seeing Trump tonight, I look forward to vehemently disagreeing with her for four years as US president.

Trump is unfit and always has been. He proved it in office and is only worse now. I’m pretty conservative, but he’s not. He’s the clearer and greater threat to America and American values than the progressive mush that Harris has in her baggage.

As for “Comrade Kamala,” allow me a Lloyd Benson moment. MAGA, I know Communism. I grew up under Communism and fought against it and despise it in all its vile, soul-crushing forms. And MAGA, Kamala Harris is no Communist.

It demeans the horror of Communism to use it every time a liberal politician talks about taxes or health care, or even un-American ideas like price controls & censorship. I blasted Bernie Sanders in 2016, but even he’s just a weak tea Socialist, not a would-be totalitarian.

I’m very concerned about the future of a US that produces such weak candidates. I’m disgusted by a far left that attacks American history and values. But America can always be better, that is its unique glory. Improve it, don’t tear it all down. And please vote!

Harris’s policy flip-flops are much less damaging for that American future than Trump’s consistent contempt for constitutional norms. She’s inconsistent. He’s consistently corrupt. He’s also decaying badly, and incompetent corruption isn’t better than competent.

I blasted Obama’s foreign policy for eight years but never doubted he and his supporters would leave power peacefully.

Side note: “Trump, a would-be autocrat, using Orban, an actual autocrat, as a character reference is too perfect. As with his praise for Xi and Putin as “strong,” his naked envy of their unaccountable power is one of his few sincere expressions.”