For that reason, the fact that a Fox News anchor was chosen as the solo moderator for Tuesday's first presidential debate between Joe Biden and Trump was greeted with a strong whiff of skepticism.
That's not fair to Wallace. For proof, people could take a look at the last head-to-head debate between presidential nominees. That was the third and final debate between Trump and Hillary Clinton in 2016; and Wallace moderated that one as well. It was, by wide consensus, the best and best-moderated debate between those two intensely bitter rivals.
Wallace will likely be called upon to perform a similar hard-nosed role on Tuesday in what is widely expected to be a bare-knuckle, no-holds-barred, low-blow-filled brawl — with maybe some Mike Tyson-style ear-chewing thrown in.
The last-minute report from The New York Times offering explosive details about the President's taxes — and lack of payments — will certainly shake up not only the confrontation between the two candidates, but also complicate Wallace's plans for questioning them. There is clearly a new topic at the top of the agenda.
How wild the debate will get largely depends on how outside the "norms" Trump decides to go, both in language and behavior during the debate. The tax issue will likely enflame his natural aggression.
Biden is not known for his egregious debate antics. In fact, he was so bound to the rules during the primary debates this year, he often cut himself off mid-thought if he saw his time was up. It's likely his advisors will encourage him to be more aggressive this time, or else Trump will roll over him. And certainly the idea that President Trump paid less in taxes in his first year in office than Abraham Lincoln did in 1864 may open easy opportunities for Biden to go on the attack.
In the regular course of events, Trump treats norms like he treats cabinet members: mostly disposable. So he can probably be counted on to ignore whatever rules Wallace sets down — pushing past time constraints and talking over Biden whenever the mood strikes him. Just look at his outburst four years ago when Clinton suggested he would serve as a "puppet" for Russian President Vladimir Putin if the Republican presidential nominee were elected to the White House: "No puppet, no puppet. You're the puppet!" Yes, that came in the debate Wallace was moderating.
Somehow Wallace held that together, bringing the raucous discussion back on track time and again. The challenge may be exponentially harder this time because Wallace has so many issues raised by Trump's presidency to deal with. It may prove difficult to keep the President from totally dominating the discussion, for his own good or ill.
Interestingly, many of the topics Wallace originally said he aims to cover came up in 2016, including the Supreme Court, the economy and, almost incredibly, the integrity of the election, which will presumably include Trump's refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. Wallace raised that issue four years ago and Trump said then almost the same thing that he is saying now; last time the words were: "I will tell you at the time; I'll keep you in suspense."
One topic Wallace has included this time is clearly intended to put Biden on the spot: race and violence in the cities. Framing it that way — as opposed to social justice conflicts tied to policing in the city, for example — raised hackles on the Democratic side. But it's really up to Biden to turn the tables when he's asked about it.
Historically, debates have had both solo and group moderators. For the presidential debates between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon, each one had a single moderator, but a panel of journalists also asked questions. Subsequent debate series have mostly dumped the crowded panels in favor of solo moderators. Jim Lehrer of PBS performed the job solo 11 times. In the five presidential years of this century, only once, the second debate in 2016, did the format include multiple moderators.
Wallace has already proved, in his recent interview with the President, that he will make a direct frontal challenge to clearly misstated or fabricated facts.
The co-chair of The Commission on Presidential Debates, Frank J. Fahrenkopf, has said Wallace isn't expected to fact-check mid-debate; but that does not mean he will allow egregious misstatements to go by. His style has been to challenge when it's imperative to do so, and he will likely try that with both candidates Tuesday night.
But some people, including Trump, anticipate Wallace will not be able to dispense his lie-detecting efforts equally.
Just recently Trump said Wallace would be a pro-Biden operative.
"I would be willing to bet that he won't ask Biden tough questions. He'll ask me tough questions and it will be unfair, I have no doubt about it," Trump said. "He will be controlled by the radical left."
But, of course, the pre-debate attacks on Wallace amount to the Trump version of working the refs before a big basketball game. It's a message: If you're too tough on me, I'm coming after you and so are all my fans; so be a good boy.
It's also a sign, generally, of somebody who's not overly confident he's going to win. Too much emphasis on the tax revelations will almost surely stir Trump to aim direct fire at Wallace, which may be redoubled by his acolytes on social media.
Wallace may feel some pressure because of the spotlight he will be in, the number of people who will watch and what's at stake for the country in this election. But he doesn't seem the type to get the vapors at being accused of being unfair, or the type to pull his own punches in the middle of a brawl.
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Fox's Chris Wallace will again try artfully to handle a contentious presidential debate - CNN
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