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This is no effort to alleviate Donald J. Trump, who has been involved in the most debates this side of Abraham Lincoln, of his responsibility for his less-than-great performance on September 10, but to explain the forces working against him. These forces include best friends, sorority sisters, and Hollywood.
Bynow,youknowthatTrumpcouldhavecalmlypointedhislightsaberatthedarklies,blownupKamalaHarris’sovertwhoppers,andmovedon,buthedidn’tdothatwithregularity.HeletHarrisgetunderhisskinwithherdeceit,verbalsleights,andnon-answers.Heletitgettohim.Itwasn’thisnight.
Theformerpresidentdisplayed irascibility inresponsetosomewhollybeside-the-point“questions”andanswersbyABC’sDavidMuirandhisfemalesidekick.Now,IhavewatchedDavidMuirafewtimesovertheyears.Havingbeenaradioguyfordecades,I’velistenedtoandworkedwithpeoplewhoareabsolutelybesottedwiththesoundoftheirownvoices.DavidMuirisoneofthoseguys.Hisstudied,fauxearnestnessisahoottowatch. “Listentome,” heseemstosay, “whileIlookear