President Trump and Joe Biden will square off Thursday night in the final presidential debate of the 2020 election. It will be held at Belmont University in Nashville and will begin at 9pm EST. As always, the best way to watch is C-SPAN.

The clocks ticks for “big guy” Joe Biden. He can’t hide in his basement forever as the biggest story of the campaign intensifies.

Tomorrow, he’ll have to face the music…in the Music City at the Nashville debate.

— Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) October 21, 2020

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Both sides know this one is for keeps. The race is close, as Trump has recovered some momentum this past week after the Biden Burisma meeting story. But Biden still has an edge. This debate could decide the election.

Biden needs to look sentient and cannot dodge the Burisma question. He’ll probably, when asked about it, pivot to supposed outrage at an attack on his family. But this long time hack knows he got rich in office. If he goes too far in Captain Renault false indignation voters may pick up on it. When Trump brings up foreign policy Biden will say everybody hates us. He will continue to stress Covid-19.

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The president will have to fight Biden and the moderator. The questions will be biased and he’s liable to be muted more than once, much to the joy of the press and Democrats. He’s got to remain composed and go after Biden on Burisma like a disciplined relentless boxer. Hit him in the gut with Antifa and Black Lives Matter. When he crumples hit him with a swift right to the jaw on Burisma. If Biden does play the family card the president can easily parry by bringing up the vicious attacks his family has had to endure from Biden allies. But that is defense, the president needs to play offense.

Trump can do that on foreign policy. All he has to do is contrast the horrible mismanagement and failures of the Obama-Biden administration to his own success. We are respected in the world again, our armed forces are restored to operational viability, and we are putting American interests first. These are all great talking points that will play with voters. Mentioning the recent peace deals in the Middle East can’t hurt either.

But it will probably not come down to what is said, but how it is said. The president needs to cut like cold steel. Emphasis, on the cold. No theatrics this time. If he stays disciplined he can win. More braggadocio and he loses.