5 takeaways from the first presidential debate

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President Trump and Joe Biden took part in their first of three one-on-one debatesof the 2020 general election Tuesday night in Cleveland.

It was so contentious and full of interruptions that it was almost unwatchable, but there were some takeaways. Here they are.

1. Biden resists Trump’s goading — mostly.

Trump’s strategy was clear: to steamroll both Biden and debate moderator Chris Wallace, hoping to provoke a bad moment. It was the strategy of a challenger, more than of an incumbent, and seemed to reflect that Trump needs to change the race more than Biden does. Continue reading.