Joe Biden challenged Donald Trump to a golf contest at the debate. It was, perhaps, the funniest exchange ever during one.
IMHO, it may go down as the best moment ever between two candidates. When else in his life has President Trump been able to say, "Let's not act like children" and look reasonable saying it? Trump may have many fine qualities, but projecting sober gravitas is not something he does on a regular basis. He is more into hyperbole, less into Obamaesque uplifing words.
He even got a sly shot in about Biden's boasts about having great sex with Jill. Remember when Biden boasted that the secret to his happy marriage with Jill was having great sex? (Ewwww...)
Watch. It is genuinely hilarious.
You will notice that--twice--Biden challenged Trump to a a golf contest. Once, a driving contest, and second a full-blown golf game. This makes Trump's going there totally fair game.
One of the best comedy videos I have seen in a while was made from this exchange. It's from @shepmates on Twitter:
This is hysterical 😂😂. Is this actual audio or is this impersonators. Who watched?? pic.twitter.com/LPuFbk1KLE
— leilani dowding 🌸🚜 ☮️ (@LeilaniDowding) June 28, 2024
Trump upped the ante: at a rally he challenged Biden to a full 18-hole charity golf game, spotting the president 20 strokes, with $1 million on the line for Biden's charity of choice.
It was a masterstroke, to coin a phrase, since Biden clearly couldn't hit a ball to save his life anymore.
Trump has challenged Biden to face him on the golf course. $1 million dollar donation to charity on the line. Forget the debates. This is what America wants 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/MdBtiJUbXs
— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) July 10, 2024
Before you think that this is childish, consider the underlying message. Without explicitly saying that Biden is old and decrepit Trump gets to remind everybody that, despite the president's boasts, he is barely functional either physically or mentally.
It's also a reminder that Biden is a liar--claiming to be an excellent golfer, even superior to Trump who not only owns multiple golf courses but also wins tournaments. Of all things you could criticize Trump for, being bad at golf is not one of them.
In other words, Trump just called Biden old, decrepit, and a liar in 30 seconds without crossing the line into childishness. Trump gets to boast about something no serious person could challenge him on without exaggeration.
Biden hasn't challenged Trump to a golf match just once--he did it with Colbert a few months back, so Trump is, in a way, simply accepting Joe's challenge in the same way he did with the debate.
Colbert: Can voters trust a presidential candidate who has not won a single Trump International Golf Club trophy?
— Biden-Harris HQ (@BidenHQ) March 29, 2024
President Biden: I told Trump in the Oval Office, I'll give you three strokes if you carry your own bag pic.twitter.com/OjVef5aRii
"I'll spot you everything you can ask for and still beat the pants off you" is the message.
Can there be a better response? It's funny, but a serious message is buried not so deep.
The Biden White House stupidly responded, and responded stupidly.
Why was this a stupid response? Trump's challenge went straight to the greatest weakness of Joe Biden, while the Biden campaign didn't lay a glove on Trump. Every single line went to the heart of their already losing message--nobody is buying what they are selling, while Trump is selling them a message they have already committed to purchase. Everybody thinks Biden is done physically.
🚨PURE GOLD: RIGHTFUL PRESIDENT TRUMP ENTERED HIS 45,000 PEOPLE RALLY WITH A GOLF CART MOTORCADE!
— Bo Loudon (@BoLoudon) July 10, 2024
The mainstream media definitely won't report this.
Sure would be a shame if everyone shared this and it went viral! pic.twitter.com/pZIHkFNhZb
Trump is leaning into this, and if you think it is stupid and childish, you are very wrong. It prevents Biden from even trying to change the subject of Biden's decrepitude without descending to a level that Biden didn't reach first and more strongly.
This is the sort of persuasion tactic that Scott Adams explains every day on his podcast. Everybody gets it, it's visual not verbal in the sense that it gets people to focus on what they see with their own eyes, requires no explanation, and even makes him look generous with his big pile of money--putting $1 million on the line.
If Biden had a chance in hell winning the contest he could burn Trump--make him donate to an LGBTQ+ charity or Planned Parenthood, but everybody knows he can't.
It is literally the perfect move.
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