[KARAH RUCKER]

THE SIDE OF THE SCREEN WHERE AMERICA SEES BIDEN DURING THE FIRST PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO HIM THAN GETTING THE FINAL WORD OF THE EVENING.

THOSE WERE BIDEN’S TWO ADVANTAGES TO CHOOSE FROM WHEN HE WON CNN’S COIN FLIP.

THE WINNER GOT TO CHOOSE STAGE PLACEMENT. OR. ORDER OF CLOSING STATEMENTS.

BIDEN WILL BE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STAGE –

WHICH TRANSLATES TO THE **RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR TV SCREEN.

SO WHY IS IT THAT BIDEN CARED MORE ABOUT THAT POSITIONING THAN GETTING TO BE THE DEBATE CLOSER?

THE WHITE HOUSE HASN’T YET SAID.

BUT THERE MIGHT BE A PSYCHOLOGICAL REASONING BEHIND IT.

SOME STUDIES SUGGEST THAT A VIEWER’S EYES ARE INHERENTLY DRAWN TO THE RIGHT.

SO IN THE CASE OF A SPLIT SCREEN WITH TRUMP ON THE LEFT AND BIDEN ON THE RIGHT –

BIDEN COULD BE BANKING ON GETTING MORE ATTENTION FROM THE AUDIENCE BY CHOOSING THIS SIDE.

NOT BY HIS WORDS OR EVEN ACTIONS.

JUST BY THE NOTION THAT A PERSON’S EYES NATURALLY GRAVITATE TO THE RIGHT OF A SCREEN. 

A 2010 ARTICLE BY SLATE LOOKED INTO A SIMILAR STAGE SETTING.

LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS. 

AND HOW THE SHOW HOSTS ARE ALWAYS POSITIONED “STAGE LEFT” WHICH PUTS THEM ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR TELEVISION.

FROM DAVID LETTERMAN AND JOHNNY CARSON. TO JIMMY FALLON AND JIMMY KIMMEL. 

“SLATE MAGAZINE” EXPLAINS WHY HOSTS PREFER THIS PLACEMENT.

THE ARTICLE SUGGESTS “BECAUSE IT MAKES THEM SEEM POWERFUL. IN WESTERN CULTURE, WE READ FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, AND WE WATCH THEATER AND TELEVISION THAT WAY, TOO. OUR EYES END UP ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN.”

IT’S A PLACE OF FAMILIARITY FOR BIDEN TOO.

IN 2020’S TWO PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES – BIDEN WAS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE SCREEN IN BOTH OF THESE DEBATE MATCH UPS.

THE STAGE IS SET.

THE RULES ARE IN PLACE.

AND APPARENTLY –

THERE’S A LOT ON THE LINE –

A GOOD CHUNK OF UNDECIDED VOTERS.

ACCORDING TO THE LATEST REUTERS POLLING –

20 PERCENT OF VOTERS SAY THEY HAVE NOT PICKED A CANDIDATE IN THIS YEAR’S PRESIDENTIAL RACE, ARE LEANING TOWARD A THIRD-PARTY CANDIDATE, OR LEANING TOWARD NOT VOTING AT ALL.

IN THE LATEST NPR/PBS POLL –

TRUMP AND BIDEN ARE DEAD EVEN – AT 49% APIECE.

IT’S A TIGHT RACE –

AND FURTHER PROOF OF IT IS IN THE POCKETBOOKS OF EACH CAMPAIGN.

AT THE START OF APRIL – TRUMP WAS BEHIND BIDEN’S FUNDRAISING EFFORTS BY MORE THAN 100 MILLION DOLLARS.

TRUMP OUTFUNDRAISED BIDEN IN APRIL AND MAY –

AS “POST-CONVICTION TRUMP” CONTINUES TO SEE DONATIONS SURGE.

WITH HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ABOUT TO POUR IN FROM BOTH CAMPS –

FOUR MONTHS TO GO BEFORE THE ELECTION AND LESS THAN A WEEK FROM THE FIRST DEBATE.

CAMPAIGN SEASON IS IN FULL SWING.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

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