The most interesting questions that candidates receive in any televised debate are those with a harsh, hostile edge, forcing the practiced, generally polished politicos to move out of their comfort zones. In the upcoming Biden-Trump engagement, such tough and aggressive grilling is especially appropriate since the polls all show both presumptive major party nominees with more disapproval than approval from the voting public. An important inquiry would ask them to confront and explain this negative view they’ve engendered in the public and, most importantly, to indicate what they would do differently to achieve more positive results in a prospective second term.
For Biden, the most difficult and significant question would be to confront the negative view of his presidency that’s registered in surveys with dreary consistency since his first year in power. Why does he think his efforts to turn this negativity around have enjoyed so little success, and what would he do differently to earn better responses after January 20th, 2025.
Trump needs to face a very similar challenge, but adjusted for the fact that he’s been out of the White House for the last four years, generating the same bitter divisions and polarization, with constant charges of wrong-doing that he endured both during and after his term as president. He survived two impeachments (the only president with that dishonor), the loss of more than 40 Republican House seats during his mid-term election, and a decisive popular vote rejection in his re-election bid. Some 53.2% of his fellow citizens, a healthy majority, voted to drive him out of the White House and he drew a lower percentage of the popular vote in 2020 (46.8%) than Hillary had won (48.2%) in losing the election of four years before.
His post-presidential experience has been largely consumed by yet more charges and countercharges, including serious indictments in at least six jurisdictions and criminal convictions in the hush money trial. No one should bother asking if Trump considers himself wholly innocent and blameless in all of this—we know that he believes with unshakable certainty in the unfairness of all the charges, both silly and serious, lodged against him. What we don’t know is what he means to do differently to avoid a repetition of his ferociously chaotic pattern in the next four years, if he does win another chance at the presidency. In retrospect, how does Trump believe he could have varied his approach to escape all the wasted time and energy and opportunities that have characterized his last eight years, both in and out of office?
The most valuable aspect of such a line of questioning for both contenders would be its ability to focus them on their future plans and goals, rather than more rote recitations of what each candidate considers (hollowly) their great and glorious pasts.
Honest or thoughtful answers might even reduce the contempt with which most voters view both contenders. By admitting some miscalculations, expressing some regrets, and giving an indication of how those shortcomings could be corrected in the years ahead, either candidate might stun the public and generate new respect from an electorate profoundly cynical and disillusioned about both men.
But first they must face the uncomfortable questions, if Jake Tapper and Dana Bash manage to outperform the generally low expectations concerning their role as moderators, and make the Atlanta debate into an unexpectedly meaningful and revealing conversation.
But, with respect, these are not honest and thoughtful questions. Biden does not know or believe he is unpopular, so asking him what he'd do differently will draw an answer: nothing needs to change once the media stops persuading the ignorant how good they have it. As for Trump, your question assumes he did anything to warrant the attacks on him before and after he left office. As a premise of your point is he continues to deny he did anything to justify a change, why would you think he needs to change something?
A far more revealing question for Biden would be, do you believe allowing 10+ million undocumented persons to walk into our country in the last 3 years creates any national security risk?
For Trump, it would be useful to know, how would you bring peace to the Middle East and Ukraine?