A shockingly civil end to the 2020 campaign

civility debate
(Image credit: Photo by Jim Bourg-Pool/Getty Images)

The best thing about Thursday night's presidential debate is that it probably didn't leave millions of Americans wanting to take a shower, despairing for the future of democracy.

That is a low bar, of course, but one set by the historically atrocious first encounter between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, which was marred by the president's interruptions and rudeness to both Biden and Chris Wallace, the moderator. Afterward, a number of observers begged the Commission on Presidential Debates to shut down the remaining debates altogether.

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Joel Mathis, The Week US

Joel Mathis is a freelance writer who has spent nine years as a syndicated columnist, co-writing the RedBlueAmerica column as the liberal half of a point-counterpoint duo. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic, The Kansas City Star and Heatmap News. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.