President Donald Trump made a strong and believable case for another four years during Thursday night’s constructive, civilized, and substantive debate. 

Biden struggled a few times trying to complete his points but committed nothing that rose to the level of a severe and memorable stumble. Neither candidate came across as unlikeable. NBC White House Correspondent Kristen Welker distinguished herself as the moderator to emulate, even drawing a compliment from Trump.

In terms of performance, neither candidate scored a clear win and this debate probably won’t have any dramatic effect on the tiny percentage of undecided voters.

If anything helps Trump in the final stretch of the campaign, it might be Biden’s weak effort to explain his energy policy. He tried to walk back multiple earlier promises, as recently as March, to eliminate fracking. When pressed on it, Biden conceded he would “phase out” the oil and gas industry and replace it with “renewables.” He may well have cost himself Pennsylvania.

Colorado residents, living in the sixth-largest producer of domestic oil and gas, should consider the ramifications of a president aggressively phasing out oil and gas production. Doing so threatens to destroy the state’s economy, as the industry supports more than 230,000 jobs. It funds education and a litany of other public services. The world is nowhere near an advanced condition in which humanity can live without oil and gas. Eliminating the industry domestically only returns the United States to the days of oil wars and unholy alliances with foreign countries that torment slaves, minorities and the LGBTQ community.

Not long after Biden conceded his energy plans — which will probably hurt him in multiple oil-producing swing states — Trump reminded the country of Biden’s plans to raise taxes on an economy enduring a worldwide pandemic.

After Trump criticized the COVID response of liberal Democratic governors, Biden assured the country he does not “look at red states and blue states, I look at the United States.” He immediately contradicted himself by insisting COVID-infections are spiking in “red states.” OK, so he does see red and blue.

Throughout the 90-minute exchange, Biden tried to hammer home the theme that “character is on the ballot.” He has good character, unlike Trump.

There was just one fly in that ointment, if not in a candidate’s hair this time.

About 90 minutes before the debate began, a little-known man named Joe Bobulinski held a press conference that only Fox News broadcast. Bobulinski is CEO of Sinohawk Holdings, a partnership involving Chinese energy company CEFC and the Biden family. Trump invited him to the debate in Nashville as his personal guest. Bobulinski said he has documentation that will prove Joe Biden used Hunter Biden to help leverage his authority as vice president for substantial personal enrichment.

It was reminiscent of early noise about the fabricated Russia scandal, only the foreign foe is China and the evidence seems considerably more tangible and real. Moderator Welker, who stood out as fair throughout the rest of the debate, declined to demand answers from Biden regarding the developing story.

Evidence includes an email, ostensibly from the confiscated laptop, in which a consultant talks with Hunter Biden about a China deal in which 10% of a company would go to “the big guy.” Bobulinski says “the big guy” is Joe Biden.

When Trump asked about it, Biden said “I have not taken a penny from any foreign source ever in my life.”

That may be, but it also sounds like a carefully crafted statement. Money channeled through his son or another associate would not technically be taken from a foreign source. This story isn’t going away, much as the mainstream media ignores it while serving as a veritable and essential organ of the Biden campaign.

On immigration, neither candidate came off well. Biden blamed Trump for more than 500 immigrant children who can’t find their parents after federal authorities separated them at the border.

Trump said he inherited the Obama system and improved it, then blamed Biden and former President Barack Obama for the notorious “cages” used to hold child immigrants. Welker reminded Biden that Obama was known as the “deporter-in-chief.”

“Who built the cages, Joe? Who built the cages?” Trump pressed.

Biden did not answer, but the answer is not in question. Obama and Biden built the cages.

On race relations, Trump said Biden called Black suspects “super predators.” Trump told viewers how he funded Black colleges and universities long term. He signed into law prison reform, and worked with Sen. Tim Scott, R-South Carolina, to create opportunity zones that primarily help Blacks and Latinos. Trump blamed Biden for the 1994 crime bill that put tens of thousands of Black men in prison for non-violent crimes.

Biden said the crime bill was a mistake. He blamed Trump for throwing fuel on the fire of racial tensions.

It was the first national debate of 2020 that probably informed viewers about the policies that distinguish two men burdened by character and personality flaws. On performance, this was a tie. As the show ages in the coming days, Trump’s policy points will help him win key swing states.