Clinton to Biden: Rebutting Trump's debate "blather" is a "waste of time"

• "He starts with nonsense and then digresses into blather," she said of the presumptive GOP nominee for president, who defeated her in the 2016 election.
• "Yet expectations for him are so low that if he doesn't literally light himself on fire on Thursday evening, some will say he was downright presidential," she added.

State of play: Trump has "become angrier and more unhinged" since his 2020 loss, Clinton wrote.

• Americans who tune into Thursday's debate should "pay attention to how the candidates talk about people, not just policies," she said.
• Viewers should also consider the fundamental questions of the election, such as the fate of U.S. democracy and how each candidate's policies would affect Americans' everyday lives, Clinton added.
• Trump, she wrote, has to "rant and rave" to distract from what she called his unpopular policy positions, including his views on abortion and tax breaks for the wealthy.
• Biden, Clinton said, should be "direct and forceful," with Trump, like he was with Republican hecklers during his State of the Union address earlier this year.

Zoom out: The 2024 race remains very tight, even after Trump's 34 convictions in his New York hush money trial.

• Polls show voters remain concerned about Biden's age, though concerns about age and mental fitness also plague Trump.
• "Biden is a wise and decent man who is fighting hard for working families," Clinton wrote. "Yes, he's 81. That's just three years older than Mr. Trump."

Go deeper: Trump's weird words: What's behind his rally rants