Flyover folk wish for a clean debate – but they aren’t holding their breath.

Editor’s Note: From the Back Forty is Liberty Nation’s longest running and most popular weekly column. 

The Harris campaign finally came to terms with the rules of the upcoming presidential debate against former President Trump. Each candidate will have limited time to answer questions; otherwise, their mics will be muted. It’s the same tactic employed when Trump and Biden went at it, back when the world learned the current president was in no condition to stay in the race. In flyover states, Harris isn’t expected to do much better.

The debate is critical for Harris to prove her competence without a teleprompter or having her running mate around to hold her hand. Heartlanders believe it’s Trump’s debate to lose but caution number 45 to adjust accordingly.

Harris Word Salad Hurdle

Whether a fan of Trump or Harris, one must admit the former president is direct when he speaks – and consistent. The Trump campaign has former Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard on board to help prepare him and ensure he hits the right tone. If he’s too harsh, Kamala might get the sympathy boost in percentage posts. If he’s too condescending, the independent voters might get irked and throw love to the vice president.

Rumor has it that Harris has been holed up for several days, memorizing her policies as she practices speaking without word salads and giggles, which have left an unwashable stain on her VP tenure and her current campaign. Take, for instance, this gem delivered on a political junket with California Governor Gavin Newsom:

“We were all doing a tour of the library here and talking about the significance of the passage of time, right, the significance of the passage of time. So, when you think about it, there is great significance to the passage of time in terms of what we need to do to lay these wires. What we need to do to create these jobs. And there is such great significance to the passage of time when we think about a day in the life of our children.”

Alrighty, then. And this one, too: “I think that to be very honest with you that I do believe that we should have rightly believed but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled.” What?

In South Carolina, Richard Hellstrom wondered: “Which personality will show up for the debate, and will Sybil remain the same person during the entire debate, or will she be drifting off to other characters and fantasies?”

Harris has picked up a few Republican endorsements from the likes of the Cheney family – former Rep. Liz (R-WY) and her father, who was vice president under George W. Bush, fanner of the flames for a two-decade-long war on terror. Kelly Garrison of Tonkawa, OK, was not happy: “War criminals are endorsing her. Seriously. She’s to the right of Trump at this point.”

Debate: Who Moves the Needle?

The Trump camp is focusing on how Tulsi Gabbard fire-bombed Harris in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary debates and remained polite. As Tulsi recalls: “There was no other Democratic candidate in 2020 that challenged Kamala Harris’ hypocrisy and lies. I did that, and I can share some of the ways I think she is going to try to get after him, get under his skin, and, once again, try to hide the truth about her record.” Keeping Trump cool, calm, and collected could be the ticket.

Midlanders wish for a clean debate where they may learn a thing or two directly from the candidates themselves. But they also have misgivings. Mark Oberlin in Grand Rapids, MI, wonders if Harris can explain her weird behavior this late in the game: “[I] can’t believe people will vote for her despite having never laid out actual positions, how she’s going to do them, and why she’s flip-flopped on every radical left-wing position from 4 years ago.” He also advised, “Do not vote in California communism!”

Russell Stambaugh, in Paintsville, KY, doesn’t believe Harris can explain her platform: “She will not have notes or Walz holding her hand. Relying only on her memory and wit. She will probably crash in the first segment of the debate.”

It may have taken a herd of wild horses to drag Harris into agreeing that a debate was necessary. Now, come September 10, the vice president needs to wow the Democratic Party and entice the independent voters to acquiesce to a more socialistic regime. Folks From the Back Forty just hope she shows up.