Sometimes the pettiest of disagreements between political campaigns can reveal a world of difference in the candidates.
Consider the current disagreement over the rules of the September 10 debate, particularly whether the candidates’ microphones will be muted when it’s not their turn to speak.
You might suppose team Trump would want the mics unmuted and Harris would want them muted.
But you’d be wrong. It’s just the opposite.
Harris’s team wants the mics unmuted when it’s Harris’s turn to speak because they want the television audience to see and hear Trump out of control, as he was in his 2020 debate with Joe Biden when Biden finally told him to “just shut up.”
Harris’s team thinks Trump will be even more out of control when confronted with Harris, and she’ll be even more effective than Biden in shutting Trump down.
Which, apparently, is also the thinking of team Trump — and why they want him muted when it’s Harris’s turn to speak.
The interesting question is how team Trump has informed Trump about this dispute. I imagine something like the following:
Team Trump: “Sir, the Harris campaign won’t agree to have your microphone muted when it’s her turn to speak.”
Trump: “Why should my microphone be muted? No one mutes me!”
Team Trump: “Er, sir, we — that is you — want yourself muted when it’s her turn to speak.”
Trump: “No, I don’t!”
Team Trump: “We think it’s better for you if you’re muted.”
Trump: “What the hell are you talking about?”
Team Trump: “Because, sir, we don’t think … that is you don’t think … you’ll be able to … um … control yourself.”
Trump (rising from his chair): “I can’t control myself? (shouting): “I CAN’T CONTROL MYSELF?”
Team Trump (backing away): “We … that is you … worry that, perhaps, if the mic is open … you might …”
Trump (blowing up): “Of COURSE I CAN CONTROL MYSELF, YOU BLITHERING IDIOTS! WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, TELLING ME I CAN’T CONTROL MYSELF? YOU’RE JUST A BUNCH OF F------ A-------!” (He throws his plate across the room, it smashes into the wall. Team Trump runs off.) “NO ONE CONTROLS THEMSELVES BETTER THAN ME! NO ONE! YOU’RE ALL FIRED!”
Robert Reich is a professor of public policy at Berkeley and former secretary of labor. His writings can be found at https://robertreich.substack.com/
