Tuesday, March 19, AD 2024 5:12am

Debate Open Thread

 

 

Fifty-six years to the day from the first Presidential Debate:  Trump v. Nixon Clinton.  Put your thoughts on the debate in the comboxes.

 

Update:

I thought it was a wretched debate with neither Hillary nor Trump doing especially well, although I gave it to Clinton on points.  However, the online polls are showing a decisive Trump win.  That is probably bad news for Hillary as those often in the wake of a Presidential debate are a good sign of political strength as hard core partisans tend to see their candidate winning no matter what.  It looks like Trump did himself no harm tonight and Clinton did herself no good.  She needed to change the momentum of the race away from Trump, and this is an early sign that she has failed to accomplish that.

 

0 0 votes
Article Rating
29 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Monday, September 26, AD 2016 7:14pm

God help Trump.
God defeat Hillary

Alice
Alice
Monday, September 26, AD 2016 8:47pm

Well, Trump couldn’t help himself. And Hillary has the best meds in the world.

We’re doomed. I guess it’s City of God, the rerun. We had to have the US fall so we weren’t confused about what Christianity really asks of us.

Brian
Brian
Monday, September 26, AD 2016 9:09pm

Freak Show.

Judgement day is upon us.

Kennybhoy
Kennybhoy
Monday, September 26, AD 2016 9:48pm

Donald R McClarey wrote: “On points I would give it to Clinton…”

Aye.But points 5 & 6 on your Ross Douthat post still hold true Maister McC. Absent a health episode from Clinton, Trump was never going to best her in these debates. And absent a complete meltdown from Trump the debates are irrelevant this cycle…

Ernst Schreiber
Ernst Schreiber
Monday, September 26, AD 2016 10:24pm

You know, I never could watch a horror show.
.
Sounds like I didn’t miss anything.

CAM
CAM
Monday, September 26, AD 2016 10:34pm

This is only the first debate. Not worried……yet. On style Hillary had it. A youthful, casual but controlled coiff with many hi-lights combined with luminous, plumped up make-up made her look years younger and almost pleasant. She was very rehearsed; probably rehearsed many times in front of a video cam. The red pants suit drew viewer eyes to her; nice trick. Trump looked pasty. The Il Duce chin thrust out and the down turned mouth made him look surly. What can I say about his hair? The bird’s nest on his forehead a major distraction and obscured his eyes. Hillary’s delivery of lies was good. Trump obviously was not prepared. He needed to continue with substantive bullets instead of long repetitive sentences which wasted precious minutes. Got tired of hearing about “I, I, I” and “very, very, very”. But he was restrained. As I said this was only the first debate. I expect Trump will do better.

CAM
CAM
Monday, September 26, AD 2016 10:40pm

I watched the debate on Fox. I really didn’t like the split screen. Maybe it was just Fox.
The split screen distracts the viewer from the speaker and allows the non speaker to upstage the other with faces and hand gestures.

The Bear
Monday, September 26, AD 2016 10:55pm

Clinton had more facts at her command, and was smoother. But she was really personal, which was a turn-off. She overdid the racism accusations, painting police with a broad brush, I thought. I can’t imagine any voter digging that except the BLM crowd. But while Trump smartly stayed tough but mostly gentlemanly, Clinton delivered low blow after low blow. Trump likes beauty pageants “and likes to hang around them for some reason.” Seriously? Well, the Bear has his own take at the usual place. As usual, this debate will not change any minds, but Trump exceeded the low expectations. Clinton was a nasty piece of work, though, and her big lines were mostly flops. “Trumped Up Trickle Down?” Ouch. “I prepared for this debate, and I’m prepared to be president?” LOL bad.

Don the Kiwi
Tuesday, September 27, AD 2016 2:46am

Uninspiring performance from both candidates – Trump cautious, but some of his old flaws appearing occasionally, Hillary stage managed and stiff, with a false smile.
Difficult to say whether or not one or the other won. It was very much a draw with the rider that Hillary probably repeated her lines better – after all, she was reading her bullet points, and her artificial smile IMO detracted from her performance.
Trump did some pretty hard hitting, but took it easy on her over the e-mails. He tended to be repetetive. He responded reasonably well to her accusations, but didn’t make enough of the ‘woman’ thing, when he employs many women in top jobs in his companies, and missed a lot of rebuttal opportunities.
I think he will improve in the next debate, whereas Hillary IMO has nothing new to offer.
Popcorn.

Michael Dowd
Michael Dowd
Tuesday, September 27, AD 2016 2:58am

Donald is going to have to prepare for the next debate. He needs more specificity on answers and control over his emotional reactions. I thought Hillary won and will be surprised if she doesn’t increase in the polls.

Philip
Philip
Tuesday, September 27, AD 2016 3:38am

It doesn’t matter who won the debate.

The American people lost incrementally.

Come November the American people will loose even more….. it’s just a question of how much.

Philip
Philip
Tuesday, September 27, AD 2016 3:51am

Preparations are underway for America regardless of the next pick.

Fifty is a good start.
We will need many more.

Philip
Philip
Tuesday, September 27, AD 2016 3:52am
T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Tuesday, September 27, AD 2016 6:08am

I didn’t watch. The World Series of Poker and Yukon Men were on. Plus, I would have been arrested for shooting the TV.

David Spaulding
David Spaulding
Tuesday, September 27, AD 2016 7:14am

I conclude that the only way Clinton could tee up on the questions like she did, and remain as confident as she did, is that she had the questions before the debate.

Conspiracy? Well, when one has been proved a cheater in the Primaries, one has no just cause to complain about suspicion in the General.

Philip
Philip
Tuesday, September 27, AD 2016 7:19am

David Spaulding.

Great point.
If anyone was to try to convince you that the MSM is fair and non-biased, well, you might want to monkey slap that person. How unfair the media has been in the past supports David’s assumption…at least in my opinion.
Rigged? Very possible.

c matt
c matt
Tuesday, September 27, AD 2016 7:35am

Maybe Trump should challenge her to a debate with Milo as the moderator.

Art Deco
Art Deco
Tuesday, September 27, AD 2016 8:40am

Trump v. Nixon Clinton.

The IRS commissioner in 1971 told the Nixon White House that there would be no audits of political enemies. Hmmm…

Over a period of 20 years, did Richard Nixon get one dime in speaking fees? Did Richard Nixon ever engage in money laundering?

Nixon (who had overdue legal bills) was taken to task for accepting $600,000 for 29 hours of unrehearsed interview with David Frost. He was also humiliated when his tax returns were made public and it was revealed he’d taken a deduction he did not merit by backdating some documents. People like James Fallows and Joe McGinnis and Garry Wills promoted the idea that Nixon personified the crass. Fallows and Wills are still knocking about. Not expecting any acidulous commentary from either on the grifters at the apex and center of the political class.

Art Deco
Art Deco
Tuesday, September 27, AD 2016 8:44am

I saw a snippet at the beginning, wherein the question was something along the lines of ‘what are you going to do to create jobs’, a nonsensical question to ask someone running for public office. I tuned out after that.

Mike Petrik
Mike Petrik
Tuesday, September 27, AD 2016 9:36am

All I know about the debate is what I’m reading on this thread. Like any right-thinking American male living in Atlanta, I watched Monday night football. I find depression incompatible with entertainment.

Kyle Miller
Kyle Miller
Tuesday, September 27, AD 2016 12:07pm

Clinton taunted Trump before the debate about wearing a power tie. Trump wore a blue tie. Clinton wore the power paint suit. A sign of who is in control?
.
If you’re defending, you’re losing. Clinton kept Trump on his heels. Trump, with ego leading the way, took the bait and wouldn’t shut up. Kept defending himself. Completely forgot about the mountain of munitions he could use to keep Hillary defending herself for the entire debate. So much for the Trump supporters’ promise of Trump mopping the floor with Clinton.
.
Trump had a few moments in the beginning. Clinton just had to remain steady and give pat answers to questions she doesn’t like (Not like the moderator or Trump will followup.) “I made a mistake. I regret it.” The end.
.
Moderator was terrible. He obviously stacked the questions against Trump, especially mid-way and on. But it is not like Trump didn’t have opportunities to take Clinton to the mat.
.
_However, the online polls are showing a decisive Trump win_
Same ones that said Ron Paul won every debate?

T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Tuesday, September 27, AD 2016 3:19pm

Let’s see. A count of Holt’s gotcha questions. He hit Trump with 15; Hillary got two. I didn’t watch. Did Holt ask President Trump when he stopped beating his wife?
.
Next time, I hope he hits HRH Hillary with the truth (will cause a massive coughing conniption) on why her felonious failures were not “mistakes.”
.
Reports are that an Iranian US asset was liquidated after he was outed in a Hillary email.
.
It don’t mean nothing. Trump stinks too. Only, I’m all-in for him b/c for four years my liberal “friends” righteously will have their hair on fire.

CAM
CAM
Tuesday, September 27, AD 2016 9:02pm

Kyle, Trump did not let Clinton go on her comment re a private server, “I made a mistake. I regret it.” He emphatically told her it was not a mistake. “You did it on purpose.”

I hope that there will be more time allotted to her emails in the 2nd or 3rd debates. Her treasonous actions are her Achilles heel.

Kyle Miller
Kyle Miller
Wednesday, September 28, AD 2016 11:50am

Online polls are worthless.
http://nypost.com/2016/09/27/online-polls-showing-trump-won-the-debate-were-rigged/
.
CAM, Problem is Trump took and spent more time defending himself rather than taking the battle to Hillary. A shot here or there was grossly insufficient, especially given the source material he has on Hillary to work with. Trump had tons of time to discuss emails. He took a pass. Not the horrid Lester’s fault.

Mike Petrik
Mike Petrik
Wednesday, September 28, AD 2016 1:59pm

As I mentioned earlier, I watched football rather than the debate. That said, I have heard a broad consensus that Hillary bested Donald. I give that consensus little weight though. The folks that run in my circles (including the folks that participate on this blog) probably score debates rather traditionally — associating points with exercises in reason, logic and rhetorical execution. I’m not sure that much of the American public scores similarly. We’ll see.

William P. Walsh
William P. Walsh
Wednesday, September 28, AD 2016 7:59pm

Depressing! I watched but almost wish I did not. I believe I must vote for Trump for a plain and simple reason. To wit: More people will be harmed if Hillary gets elected than if Trump does. I have particularly in mind, the suffering victims of the militant Islamists and the millions of preborn persons who will be sacrificed on the altars of the modern manifestations of Moloch. The further loss of liberty and the ability to pursue happiness just rubs salt in the wounds.

Discover more from The American Catholic

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Scroll to Top