Jon Meacham: Biden Has ‘Successfully Child-Proofed the Debate Stage’ by Proposing New Debate Rules

RUSH TRANSCRIPT:
RADDATZ: “And Jon, I want to go to you. As you said, you have informally advising the president. How big a difference do you think that will make?”

MEACHAM: “I think it will be huge because it actually — what President Biden’s done is he has successfully child-proofed the debate stage for former President Trump who is responsible for this uncivil tone on the stage. Let’s be very clear here. This is not a both sides issue. Martha, you’ve moderated debates with President Biden — vice President Biden in them. There has been as Daniel Patrick Moynihan pointed out, we have defined deviancy down, and that is not President Biden’s fault, and I think what he has done is rendered a public service, he and his team in bringing some constraints to the debate to actually allow there to be a conversation that is not simply performative. American democracy is not a reality show, and Donald Trump has treated it that way for almost 10 years now. So let’s not — let’s not kid ourselves here. This is a vital election. Both sides are not equally at fault. President Biden seems to me, what he has to do is show people that he is fully in command which I believe him to be, and remind us that there is a way in which the presidency should operate, that is — once dignified and decent, and delivers for the American people.”

RADDATZ: “I think I know the answer to your next question — to the next question then. I know you’re advising Biden, but if you were advising Trump, what would you say? He needs independents. This is about getting votes. He needs moderates, but he is a hard guy to moderate, so what would you say?”

MEACHAM: “I think that may win the understatement of the week award. Donald Trump’s hard to moderate. I don’t think President Trump would welcome my counsel, but I think you just answered the question. If he can begin to show that perhaps his illiberal, anti-democratic impulses are, in fact, in check, then perhaps that reaches people. I have to say — look. I’m not a Democrat. I’m not a Republican. I voted for candidates of both parties. I have a personal — as does everyone here — devotion to as I may, the Constitution, the constitutional order that Doris has written about so beautifully for so long. That’s what’s at stake here. It’s not just a set of policies here and policy there. This is not about marginal tax rates at this point. It’s about which vision of America, and a vision of America where we are, in fact, pursuing a more perfect union, or is it about conceding that one party, one interest, one man should be in control of everything? And it’s not a choice that we faced before.”