Texting, Trump, and Thursday’s Presidential Debate: A Night in with the NGP Staff

In lieu of our usual post-debate analysis, we here at NGP have decided to try something new. In order to bring you—our readers—into the minds of Generation Z, we have decided to publish (without redactions, edits, or additions) our casual intra-blog text chain about the debate. We hope this will bring some realism into the usually carefully crafted world of debate spin, and we hope that you enjoy our writer’s and editors’ varied texting styles. Please enjoy!

Stephen Dames Today at 9:06 PM

okay Biden’s first COVID answer wasn’t bad—

Simran Saini Today at 9:12 PM

seems like trump is still in denial about covid

Inica Kotasthane Today at 9:12 PM

it was good tbh

Stephen Dames Today at 9:13 PM

He’s just throwing out a random message and seeing what sticks

Inica Kotasthane Today at 9:14 PM

JOE’S FACE HAHA

WHAT IS HE SAYING

Simran Saini Today at 9:14 PM

HAHA how is he still making fun of joe for social distancing after he got covid

Inica Kotasthane Today at 9:14 PM

“i learned a lot” kim there are people that are dying

Simran Saini Today at 9:17 PM

trump says he takes full responsibility but then blames China seconds later

Stephen Dames Today at 9:21 PM

I’m really not excited for the post debate “trump was so collected” takes

Inica Kotasthane Today at 9:22 PM

“blue states red states they’re all the united states”

nice soundbite there

Stephen Dames Today at 9:22 PM

he didn’t bring up New York……

least favorite of our native sons

with the possibly exception of Rudy

Simran Saini Today at 9:27 PM

the muted mics are a lifesaver

Stephen Dames Today at 9:27 PM

I really do think Trump is having a good debate though…..

Sanda Today at 9:28 PM

Trump is exhibiting more self control than I thought he was capable of

Stephen Dames Today at 9:29 PM

This Biden Russia answer is incredibly cringe worthy—I really want him to be either way more forceful and don’t bring it up at all

And yeah @Sanda he really is….

Inica KotasthaneToday at 9:30 PM

they prob sedated himor promised him kfc if he behaved

Stephen Dames Today at 9:31 PM

He also has been able to effortlessly turn Biden’s answers—this is really becoming problematic

Simran Saini Today at 9:31 PM

yeah i feel like Biden is doing well too though

this debate is definitely more civilized

Inica Kotasthane Today at 9:32 PM

can you actually prepay taxes?

Simran Saini Today at 9:33 PM

i think there’s a way to but it isn’t common

Sanda Today at 9:33 PM

There is estimated taxes (I pay them) but that would have come out in the reports

Inica Kotasthane Today at 9:37 PM

not the sons again…

Stephen Dames Today at 9:38 PM

this quid pro quo thing is terrible

Inica Kotasthane Today at 9:38 PM

A VACUUM CLEANER 

Simran Saini Today at 9:38 PM

he always uses biden’s sons to deflect

Stephen Dames Today at 9:39 PM

trump equivocating his stuff with Hunter Biden

I think it might be effective with some people

Inica Kotasthane Today at 9:41 PM

breaking news: china pays american taxes according to mr. president!!!

Jay Pade Today at 9:44 PM

Trump is being…weird

Repeating himself a lot

Stephen Dames Today at 9:44 PM

Question about North Korea: why is this the subject we need to talk about right now?

there are so many problems

Jay Pade Today at 9:44 PM

He sounds like he’s struggling

Stephen Dames Today at 9:44 PM

why is this the one we’re focusing on

Jay Pade Today at 9:44 PM

A fair question

Stephen Dames Today at 9:46 PM

oh yes—it’s definitely good to have a great relationship with North Korea….

that’s what we want…

Sanda Today at 9:47 PM

Superficial question but I never noticed before: do the candidates always wear ties in the color of their party?

Simran Saini Today at 9:48 PM

it’s always red or blue but i’m not sure if that’s because of the party

i think trump wore a blue tie to a debate once? not sure

Stephen Dames Today at 9:49 PM

It’s not always the same color—

Okay Trump’s healthcare answer isn’t great—a little optimistic about that

God I wish it was socialized medicine

Sanda Today at 9:50 PM

Public option!

Inica Kotasthane Today at 9:51 PM

gotta say this moderator is such an improvement from last time

Stephen Dames Today at 9:51 PM

A sort-of public option

and yeah she’s been great so far

Simran Saini Today at 9:54 PM

how is harris to the left of bernie

Inica Kotasthane Today at 9:54 PM

idk what spectrum he’s looking at but … lol

Stephen Dames Today at 9:54 PM

I liked the period line

There’s one article or study that was pretty widely published that said that—it’s pretty silly

Okay this has been a great part for Biden—he’s killing Trump on the healthcare potion. I also think he’s winning the government bailout argument

Sanda Today at 10:01 PM

I think we should elect Kristen Welker

Inica Kotasthane Today at 10:02 PM

agreed

wHo bUiLT tHe caGeS

Simran Saini Today at 10:05 PM

he didnt just say kids in cages were well taken care of

Sanda Today at 10:05 PM

Nice clean cages

Stephen Dames Today at 10:05 PM

God

Sanda Today at 10:05 PM

The American way

Stephen Dames Today at 10:05 PM

The whole “these facilities are great” point is so awful

Makes me want to throw up

Inica Kotasthane Today at 10:06 PM

catch and release? what is this a fishing derby?

the absolute inhumane language they’re using to describe humanitarian issues is repulsive

Stephen Dames Today at 10:07 PM

Now I want to go write an article arguing that we should abolish borders

Inica Kotasthane Today at 10:07 PM

“the lowest iq” … bruh

Sanda Today at 10:07 PM

Saturday’s agora?

Stephen Dames Today at 10:08 PM

I think that’s in the future @Sanda

The IQ part is Trump saying the quiet part out loud

Inica Kotasthane Today at 10:11 PM

“nobody has done more for the black community than donald trump” aight

Simran Saini Today at 10:11 PM

possibly the exception of abraham lincoln? what is he saying

Inica Kotasthane Today at 10:11 PM

not lincoln being the “possible exception” …

THE LEAST RACIST PERSON IN THIS ROOM

ITS THE BARE NECESSITY

Simran Saini Today at 10:18 PM

least racist means he’s still racist lol

Stephen Dames Today at 10:19 PM

yeah…. (1) not being racist isn’t a thing to brag about (2) does Trump really believe that he’ll win black voters?

can’t Biden call trump on the “you’re a corrupt politician” line?

Inica Kotasthane Today at 10:21 PM

is trump forgetting he’s president?

Stephen Dames Today at 10:21 PM

Like dude you’re the president—he’s a politician

Inica Kotasthane Today at 10:21 PM

like he’s able to do these things too

“why didn’t you do it joe??” um why aren’t YOU doing it?

Simran Saini Today at 10:22 PM

fr he’s saying joe didn’t act when he’s the president

Stephen Dames Today at 10:23 PM

it’s also partially because Obama didn’t want to be seen as a president just for black people—

there was a real Republican media campaign

I hate the “clean water” “clean air” argument when the trump administration has gutted environmental regulations and taken away public lands

Inica Kotasthane Today at 10:27 PM

“best carbon emissions” too

just because they’re high doesnt mean they’re good

Stephen Dames Today at 10:28 PM

why is the small windows line used again and again

Simran Saini Today at 10:28 PM

kills all the birds

Inica Kotasthane Today at 10:29 PM

ENERGY INDEPENDANT LMFAO

ugh not the black unemployment numbers

that’s been debunked so many times at this point

Jay Pade Today at 10:35 PM

Exactly

Stephen Dames Today at 10:37 PM

well that was rough—

I wonder what the media spin will be—it felt like it could be a pro-Trump narrative in the beginning but as it went along I got less sure

Jay Pade Today at 10:37 PM

Better than last time that’s for sure

I noticed aTrump was really struggling in a more moderated debate which was interesting

Inica Kotasthane Today at 10:38 PM

i fee like this was just a repeat of last time but like kid-friendly