What we witnessed in the first presidential debate was, to say the least, shocking, and embarrassing for the United States. We have a president who, if not stopped in November, will usher a Dark Age into American politics. If we are to avoid this, the Commission on Presidential Debates must intercede and do two things: Turn off the microphones once the candidate has used up his time to avoid the constant Trump interruptions. And factcheck in real time in a crawl at the bottom of the screen. If they don't do this, they should cancel the next two debates. Moreover, we voters must recognize Trump's attacks on science and democracy as the beginning of an American Dark Age, where facts and the truth no longer matter, if he is re-elected.
In assessing what we witnessed during the debate, it's important to acknowledge that the moderator, Chris Wallace, could not control the debate. Trump argued with him almost as much as he disparaged Vice President Biden. This kind of disrespect for the process requires turning off the microphones once a candidate's time has expired and calling out lies in real time. There is simply too much at stake for Americans not to see a real debate on the issues, rather than a school yard brawl brought on by Donald Trump.
We, the voters, must understand that what we witnessed was Trump attempting to plunge American politics into a Dark Age wherein science is ignored, lies create an "alternate reality," and it's "normal" to disparage those who resist falling into the darkness. All of this was on display during the first "debate."