by Rick Ackerman
RickAckerman.com
Investors took no discernible position ahead of the debate, allowing stocks to slosh around the whole day and to close near the middle of their range. Even if you could be sure of the outcome, how would you have bet it? The pundits seem to think Biden could benefit from low expectations if he gets through the evening with no serious mental lapses. But would that be good for stocks’ For America? Trump could surprise merely by being tactful if his opponent stumbles badly: “Senator, if you need a moment to compose yourself, there’s no hurry.” If Biden unexpectedly runs steady as a Dodge Dart on 84 octane, it could knock Trump off-balance. Anything more than a glancing blow might send the incumbent reeling. As entertainment, the best the audience can hope for is a lot of low blows and eye gouging. Moderator Chris Wallace, the Fox News personality least despised by his counterparts at CNN and MSNBC, has a chance to keep it clean. If he succeeds too well, perhaps Jerry Springer will have a turn at the next debate? Isn’t that what America has wanted all along?