clinton vs. trump: 1st debate

if you’re like me, and something like 100 million other americans, you sat down and watched at least part of the debate yesterday. though, admittedly, i couldn’t get through the whole thing….

in this age of short attention spans, sound bites, and emotion-based voting, the debate was little more than a show; it was a presentation of the reality-tv type of conflict to which the american people have become addicted. from the few people i’ve actually talked to about the debate, there were two general responses: pain or amusement.

i certainly fall into the first category. debates are painful for me to watch. emotionally and intellectually, they are lacking in substantive policy discussion. 10-word answers are good sound bites and can inspire confidence or fear or anger, but are by their very nature simplistic. in between the interruptions, insults, and lies during last night’s debate, 10-word answers flew fast and free from both podiums.

its not entirely the fault of the candidates, though in recent history politicians certain prefer this model than the one used when the league of women voters were running the debates…. but that’s a topic for another time.

reading some of the commentary before going to bed last night and upon rising this morning, the consensus seems to be, at least among the mainstream, that clinton was the clear “winner” last night. i’m not sure i agree, but i understand why they say that.

she seemed poised, measured, and reserved standing next to trump, who interrupted her (someone was counting, apparently) something like 75 times. trump, on the other hand, was an orange bloviating obscenity. in this context, yes, its easy to see who the came out victorious. but i’m not sure this is what the “average” american witnessed.

trying to keep myself open to what i thought the disengaged middle would be attracted to in the first debate, this was my determination at the debate’s conclusion; clinton, to her credit, did what i think she needed to do to rally her supporters and lock in independents who were leaning her way. but trump, in his own way, did what i think he needed to rally his supporters and turn some more (stupid) independents. so while the mainstream media, the dnc, the clinton campaign and its supporters predict a bounce in the polls for hillary, i won’t be surprised if it isn’t as big as they expect. or put another way, i don’t think the debate was the body blow to trump so many seem to think it was.

i guess we’ll have to wait a few days for updated poll figures to be release. though no fan of hillary, i will feel some relief if i’m proven wrong.

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