Tough guy Joe Biden told the sitting President of the United States to "shut up" on national television last night and then called him a "clown." How is that for civility? I don't care who you are and your thoughts on the president, that is never acceptable behavior.

Debate moderator Chris Wallace of Fox News should have called Biden out for his inappropriate behavior on the spot, but instead, he encouraged Biden and even laughed along with him. Wallace was to Biden as Iago is to Jafar, and LeFou is to Gaston.

In these days of utter disrespect for authority, Biden's behavior wins praise in some circles. But I would have been appalled to have school-aged children watching the debate with me with what occurred last night. Biden should be condemned for his childish rantings, but he won't be. Treating President Donald J. Trump with disdain has become the norm, and Biden was simply delivering what his base wanted to hear.

Chris Wallace is a registered Democrat, and that's okay. It's his business. But when he comes to work, his political leanings should remain on the kitchen table at home. He brought them to work with him last night and it was bad. A political debate is only as good as its moderator, and Wallace did a poor job in moderating Tuesday's debate.

Trump interrupted a lot during the debate, but he had little choice. He was frequently interrupted by Biden and often scolded by Wallace when he attempted to respond to Biden.

You may disagree and I would love to hear from you if you do, but I think Trump won the debate on the issues. Biden lost because he refused to answer direct questions about packing the Supreme Court, and he couldn't name a single law enforcement agency that has endorsed his candidacy. Biden also gets low marks for his disrespectful behavior.

Chris Wallace lost too because his credibility is shot. Even Fox News colleagues Brian Kilmeade and Greg Gutfeld found fault with Wallace's performance.

The biggest losers were the viewers who tuned in to listen to a debate. What they got instead was a mainstream media train wreck. Let's hope the next one is better.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

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