To get the obvious out of the way: This was a much easier debate on the ears, with fewer interruptions and more substance, on issues as varied as COVID-19, family separation and the minimum wage. I think both candidates were sharp stylistically, with Trump coming across as more mature than he did last time and Biden landing some effective attack lines. On substance, though, I think Trump did worse, taking the unpopular side on most issues and bringing up obscure conspiracy theories like Giuliani’s claims about Hunter Biden. He didn’t try to reach out beyond his base — which clearly is not big enough for him to win without pulling in some people who aren’t part of his base — and there was no big moment that you would expect to significantly move the polls. Advantage: Biden.