What Went Down During The First Presidential Debate

Trump says “we’re weeks away from a vaccine.” But even if that’s true, most Americans say they wouldn’t trust a vaccine that comes out before Election Day. A KFF poll found that, if a free coronavirus vaccine is developed and approved by the Food and Drug Administration before the election, just 42 percent of Americans would want to get it. Why? Sixty-two percent of respondents said they worried that political pressure would lead the FDA to rush to approve the vaccine before it is proven to be safe and effective.

It might be true that other countries with less transparency in government are undercounting their COVID-19 deaths more than the United States is. But that doesn’t change the fact that 200,000+ people have died in the U.S. — and that’s probably an undercount, too, since excess mortality data suggests the real number is higher.

Well, I think Biden isn’t in love with the idea of getting rid of the filibuster, Nathaniel — he’s a Senate traditionalist! And even if he opposed court-packing before this, it’s not a sideshow issue in the primary anymore, so maybe he’s reluctant to repeat that stand. Although I agree with Perry it will be hard for him to keep avoiding the question.