Reflections on the 1st Trump/Clinton Debate

-Both met expectations. Trump did well for his first one-on-one debate, but left ops on the table; Clinton was solid and measured. Clinton was on the offensive much of the night, offering little of what she would do. When she did, it sounded like a laundry list of policies/spending, platitudes (ok if you’re into that sort of thing), and a broad discussion of the broad shoulders required (hers) to run the country well. If you’re picking a debate winner based on debate style, Clinton wins by a head. If you’re picking a winner based on the politics of the moment– do we want more of the status quo vs. it’s time for something different– then it’s a draw or Trump by a head. 

-Lester Holt opened by saying this was sponsored by the “non-partisan” commission. It’s run by the GOP and the Dems, so what he meant was the highly-partisan “bi-partisan” commission. Holt came across as partisan– asking Trump about his taxes and the birther controversy, while asking her about no controversies or brutal policy problems. (Trump brought up the emails, not Holt, right?)

-They were both garbage on basic economics. Trump exhibited his usual ignorance on international trade, trade deficits, conflating budget deficits and trade deficits, etc. Clinton said some crazy stuff about the Great Recession (blaming it on 1980s tax policy) and was just making up numbers on job creation from her vs. his fiscal policy. 
-The emphasis on “words” was interesting. Trump scored big points on her lovely words vs. limited actions, lack of accomplishments vs. ample experience. Clinton fought that off, but at the end, on NATO, she emphasized that “our word is good”. 

-I’m curious how Ttump’s rhetoric is heard by non-yellow-dog African-Americans– and whether the reality of those comments (e.g., inner-city violence vs. stop/frisk and economic problems) and his repeated claims about her rhetoric and record would score (a ton of) points. Related: will they hear her 40-year-old lawsuit example as something significant or slanderous. (Or for those interested in jobs and his point about regulations, another example of regulation gone awry.)

-On appearances, it’s interesting that he chose a blue tie and she chose a red pantsuit. When she looked at him, it looked like she was going to pass out– with her eyes heavy and blinking a lot. I wonder if there was a fan blowing down on them that made it difficult for her to open her eyes.