September 27, 2016, - 12:47 pm
Debate Post-Mortem: What Trump Did & Could’ve Done; Lester Holt, Faux-“Moderator”
Well, last night’s Presidential debate lived up (or, maybe, down) to my express expectations. It was mostly a bore and, in my opinion, a draw as I predicted yesterday. Lester Holt was awful (by his design). And I think this will be forgotten in a couple of days. But here are my observations and what I think were some missed opportunities.
So, today, most of the media pundits and know-it-alls are telling us Hillary Clinton “won” the debate. Not in the debate I saw. For the first half, Donald Trump was pummeling her, and she was flailing. While she may have “recovered” in the second half, I think that half was boring, tiring, and a draw. Yes, I do believe she managed to put Trump on the defensive for part of that second half, as she attacked him on his business and his comments about “women.” But that’s where I think the opportunities were lost and Trump could have turned it on her.
As I said previously, I don’t believe that Trump didn’t prepare for the debate. He definitely did, and his great first debate half showed that. But then he seemed to retreat. That’s where those missed opportunities were. And I think that whoever coached him in the debate had a major failing: that the first lesson in a debate is to turn everything said to and about you back on and against your opponent. Trump should have done that with everything. And in most cases he didn’t. A lot of the time, he spent explaining himself and his business. He shouldn’t have wasted time on that because then that draws the focus away from his opponent and her failings. As they say, if you find yourself explaining things, you’ve already lost.
Here are some of what I mean:
* Trump never mentioned the Clinton Foundation. That’s a big deal. When Hillary said, in her opening statement, that Trump believes that helping wealthy people creates jobs, and then she criticized that. I would have somehow talked about the Clinton Foundation and how that helps just three wealthy people and gives them jobs. And I would have asked Hillary about that hypocrisy.
Follow me on Twitter . . .
Hillary criticizes Donald for helping wealthy people to create jobs. Um, what's the Clinton Foundation. #tcot #gop #debatenight #debates
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
* Hillary channeled the Megynecologist Kelly BS about Trump calling women fat, pigs, etc. Trump should have been prepared for that. The answer is easy: “Hillary, I agree that harassment and assault of women is a big problem in America [DS: for the record, I don’t believe that–I think it’s trumped up by the left, especially the feminist left]. You and your husband have spent decades attacking and savaging the reputations of the harassment and assault victims of your husband. And I find that reprehensible. All of America’s women deserve better than that from you and your husband, a former President who used the White House and our country’s resources to cover up his behavior and attack women. You should be ashamed.” Sadly, I believe the Trump camp told the Donald to stay away from that topic–Slick Willie’s conquests, some of them forced, and the Clinton’s campaign to discredit those women. But I think Hillary stepped into it when she brought up Trump and women, so Trump could have prefaced it by saying, “Hillary, I really didn’t want to bring this up but you opened the door with your glaring hypocrisy on this issue.” He would have scored points on this, and she would have been on the defensive, answering for her hubby’s behavior and her attacks on his sexual assault victims.
Oy. Hillary Clinton channeling Megyn Kelly on Trump. Megyn Kelly channeled Hillary on Lesbionic haircut #tcot #gop #debates #debatenight
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
* Hillary had that line about how she prepared for the debate and she prepared for President. Trump should have responded by asking, “Hillary, is the way you abandoned our Ambassador and our military and diplomatic men and women in Benghazi how you prepare for being President. If that’s the kind of President you’d be, G-d help us. Hillary, you had a private e-mail server with classified information in your basement bathroom. And even FBI Director Comey said you were careless and jeopardized our national security. That’s how you prepared to be President? You were the architect of the Iran nuclear deal, which put Iran closer than ever to having a nuclear bomb. It’s the worst deal in history. That’s the kind of President you prepared to be? Then you should file a malpractice suit against whoever prepared you.
* When Trump questioned Hillary’s stamina and she talked about traveling around the world negotiating treaties and testifying before Congress for 11 hours, I would have brought up the aforementioned failed Iran deal of which she was the architect. I also would have said, “Hillary, if you hadn’t allowed Americans to be murdered in Benghazi and jeopardized America’s national security with your private bathroom e-mail server, you wouldn’t have had to testify before Congress for 11 hours. That’s the kind of President you’ll be–getting us into one mess after the other, one catastrophe after another.”
* When Hillary called for “criminal justice reform,” Trump could’ve responded that we can start by indicting a certain criminal who was let off the hook. Same thing when she called for a “special prosecutor” on something that didn’t need one (please excuse my bad grammar in the tweet – I’m the queen of typos) . . .
Hillary's wants Criminal Justice Reform. We can start with indicting the chick who had the e-mail server #tcot #gop #debatenight #debates
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
Funny seeing Hillary call for Special Prosecutor . . . except on Benghazi and email servers #tcot #gop #debatenight #debates
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
* When Hillary said Trump was in the back pocket of Wall Street, that was a total hypocrisy that needed to be called out. . .
The Goldman Sachsiest chick Hillary ain't in no position to call Trump a darling of Wall St. Just sayin' #tcot #gop #debatenight #debates
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
* When Hillary said the police need “more education” and other baloney, I would have asked Hillary if she will denounce or disavow “Black Lives Matter” and their calls to murder police, as well as the chaos that it has fomented. Trump alluded to this, but didn’t put her on the spot, like he should’ve.
And there are many other instances in which he could have turned it around against her. He shouldn’t have responded to her about the $14 million loan his father gave him. He should have turned it around on her and asked about her using the State Department and the Clinton Foundation to illegally make millions in pay for play fees and Bill Clinton speaking engagements and ask her if the White House will be used as the Bill Clinton speaking fee agency. Any time she mentioned his business practices, he, again, should have turned it around to her sleazy operatives like Cheryl Mills who demanded immunity from prosecution. He should have turned it around on the Clinton Foundation, etc. Her “business” practices in the public sector are far more deplorable than his in the private sector. And speaking of “deplorables,” he could also have mentioned and used that in response to her Megyn-Kelly-channeling on name-calling of women. “Hillary, you called at least a quarter of America, ‘deplorable.’ That’s despicable. Now, you want to be their President–these ‘little people’ you look down upon because they don’t live in Chappaqua and wear a $15,000 blazer like you do?” Turn the elitism on its head. For all intents and purposes, Hillary is as disproportionately wealthy versus most Americans as Trump is.
One other thing: in his post-debate comment on yesterday’s preview post, reader Ken B brings up another rejoinder Trump could’ve used on the “women” thing.
Her foundation/slush fund(which Lester Dolt didn’t bring up-at all) has taken millions from countries that treat women worse than they treat their camels. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.
Fabulous that Hillary's $15K Chairman Mao Jacket Comes in Red! #tcot #gop #debatenight #debates
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
And, also, I’m sorry but I can’t help it: when Hillary said we “need to vacuum up the intelligence” in the Middle East to beat ISIS, I heard vacuum. Then, I thought Hoover. Then, I thought, Monica. Trump couldn’t say this at the debate, but I can say it on Twitter . . .
When Hillary "vaccuums up" intelligence, does she use Hoover? Bill uses Monica #tcot #gop #debatenight #debates
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
. @Cscammon ; ) Can't help it. I'm slaphappy tired of this. And when a Clinton mentions vacuuming . . . #tcot #gop #debatenight #debates
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
The name "McClatchy" sounds like a sexual disease, as in "Bill Clinton gave a chick untreatable McClatchy" #tcot #gop #debatenight #debates
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
By the way, Hillary missed quite a few opportunities, too, such as when Trump said she’s been “fighting ISIS all [her] life,” when ISIS is only about three years old or so . . .
Hillary missed an easy one: ISIS is only like 2-3 years old, not her entire life #tcot #gop #debatenight #debates
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
Finally, there is Lester Holt. He was no moderator. He was a bore. On top of that, he was Hillary’s “fact-checker,” or as I call it, faux-checker. He never once did that with Hillary. He bent over backward (or is that, forward?) for her. That was to be expected. This is the same as in every debate in recent decades. The “moderators” are Democratic propagandists in drag. That’s just the way it is. And it’s time to answer them back with that live on TV.
Why is Lester Holt correcting Trump & not Hillary? Oh, I forgot. He's that faux-checker she's calling for #tcot #gop #debatenight #debates
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
The good news is that the debate, as I also predicted yesterday, is irrelevant, and in a few days the polls won’t even reflect that a debate happened (if they even do now, which I don’t believe). Debates, as I noted, just don’t matter that much to election results . . . unless a major screw-up happens. And there were no Hillary coughing fits or fainting spells or collapsing episodes. Trump was mostly restrained, too. Too restrained.
Hillary didn't cough tonight (that we saw) so that's an achievement, right? #tcot #gop #debates #debatenight
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
For the second half, the debate just made me sleepy and wishing both of them would shut up. I think most voters probably felt that way. The debate should have been an hour. It was too long.
They gotta do something to make debates less boring. Like have the Dons of the 5 Mafia families moderate #tcot #gop #debates #debatenight
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
The #debates they should have a fun question, like: what superpower would you pick if you could have one? #tcot #gop #debatenight
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
@DebbieSchlussel Well we already know Hillary Clinton is good at making things disappear. #DebateNight #debates #Debates2016
— Chris Dixon (@cdixon25) September 27, 2016
I guarantee this is the first Prez debate EVER in which Howard Stern is mentioned. PLEASE say Bababooey! #tcot #gop #debatenight #debates
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
After #Debates2016 and #Debatenight same choice: Make America Great (or just slightly better) Again or Make America Clinton Again #tcot #gop
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
Flabulous filmmaker Michael Moore very, very worried #Debates2016 #DebateNight #tcot #gop https://t.co/qXcScffDLp
— Debbie Schlussel (@DebbieSchlussel) September 27, 2016
EXCELLENT ANALYSIS!
E
EARL MANN on September 27, 2016 at 1:37 pm