The Second Clinton/Trump Debate(Hot off the DVR

The Second Clinton/Trump Debate

(Hot off the DVR …)

In retrospect, I think Clinton won on points (on policy, on engagement with the audience, on articulation). Trump maybe net won in terms of not running across the stage and groping Clinton; he almost seemed normal, aside from his ability to put together complete sentences.

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I'm going to try to be less transcriptish, more interpretive. Let's see.

And they enter … aaaaaand … no handshake.

Are you modeling apprporiate behavifor youth?

Clinton blathers slightly. It's not a bad satement, but it feels very canned, and doesn't actually address the question. "Great because we are good." Her walking about and talking looks good, though.

Trump needs to unbutton his coat, and tie his tie a bit shorter. Grumpy face in the background.

Trump … doesn't walk over the questioner, addresses the camera not the questioner. Voice feels subdued. Hillary is taking notes. If Hillary's answer feels a tangential fit, Trump is simply hitting on everything from ISIS to trade to law & order to African-Americans, to Latinos to whatever.

And … is Trump sniffing again?

The Tape

Sexual assault? Nope, it's just "locker room talk" (3 times). Besides, ISIS is worse. (Sniff.)

Anderson Cooper keeps hammering … did Trump actually speak truthfully. Trump: respect for women! [and when pressed, finally denies having done that sort of thing]. Also, border control! Wealthier country (finally some animation).

Trump is not sitting down. Grumpy face. Pacing a bit. He doesn't know how to be on camera when not on camera.

Clinton playing the "unfit" card, and not as a new thing. And extends from women, but to immigrants, racial groups, disabled, POWs, Muslims. Took things back to the original questioner (nice). She is addressing the audience. She's intentinoally not looking at the cameras.

Trump basically impunes Clinton's record in some handwaving fashion, and he'll help African=Americans, and Clinton has done a horrible job for them. Ramble, ramble, ramble (cut off).

So when did he change from who he was back then?

Trump is not sitting back down. And … Bill Clinton is abusive to women! And Hillary Clinton has also attacked them! And Hillary got off a rapist and she was laughing at the girl who was raped. (Hillary is giving him a look.)

Bill Clinton was impeached, lost his license, paid an $850K "fine" to Paula Jones! (Trump audience goes wild.)

Clinton: As Michelle Obama says, When they go low, we go high. (Clinton audience goes wild.) Clinton notes that this is ongoing behavior as to how he deals with women. Never apologizes — the Khans, the "Mexican" judge, the disabled reporters, or the racist Birther lie.

Trump blames Clinton for the Birther stuff. Oh, and Michelle Obama attacked her "viciously" during the Obama/Clinton campaign, and Clinton lost that fair-and-square, unlike how Clinton stole the primaries from Sanders. [Shotgun Attack!] WikiLeaks! Deborah Wasserman-Schultz.

Apology? 33,000 emails deleted! Two boxes of emails now missing! "If I win, I'm going to instruct my Atty Genl to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation." (Sniff.)

Emails! People are furious! It's a disgrace!

Clinton: It's all false. (Clinton audience goes wild.) Go to HillaryClinton.com, he'll be factchecked real-time. "It's a good thing that someone like Donald Trump isn't in charge of our country's law enforcement."

Trump: "Because you'd be in jail." (Trump audience goes wild.)

E-mails?

Clinton's "taking responsibility" speech on this still rings a little hollow … how do you take responsibility … without any consequences?

Have always taken classified material very seriously. (Bin-Ladin!)

Trump – 33,000 emails! And deleted, after a subpoena! Disappointed that Congress has let this happen! (Repeats this a number of times.)

Trump keeps talking over Clinton, even after being called on it.

Trump then accuses Anderson Cooper of not asking about emails.

Affordable Care Act is not affordable? Fix it!

Clinton – Defends the ACA; notes all the positives (including pre-existing conditions, lifetime limits, men/women equality, young person policy coverage). Doesn't discuss Congress as an issue.

Trump – Disaster! Very bad, very bad! Very expensive! State lines on health insurance bad! Single-payer is bad! Canada bad! Trump really doesn't give any details on replacement.

Clinton – Employer-based system. Let's fix what's broken.

Trump – Everything's broken! Bernie Sanders says Clinton has very bad judgment!

Trump – We'll have plans that are so good! Competition! Jonathan Gruper said it was a lie! It's a fraud! We will cover pre=existing! Block grants!

Soooooo … really, no answer, except for hoping that everyone will be covered when we give money to the states.

How will you help Muslim-Americans being labeled as a threat?

Trump – Muslims have to report hatred going on. (Sniff.) Otherwise, problems, "Radical Islamic Terrorists", and she won't say the name!

Clinton – Vision of America where everyone has a place. And Donald is a demagogue. And we need to not have someone alienating Muslim nations who are possibile allies. We are not at war with Islam.

Is the Muslim ban real?
Trump – Captain Khan was an America hero, and I wouild have stopped Iraq. Yeesh.
No Muslim ban, just "extreme vetting." Trump rambles about people just wandering into our country, "The Great Trojan Horse of all time."

Clinton – Refugees. We need to do our part. We will have vetting. Clinton's answer is a bit rambly and disjointed, disappointingly so.

(Trump has figured out how to get into the background while Clinton is talking.)

Oh, and Trump wasn't against the war in Iraq.

Trump forces more time. And says he will forcibly deport people, even if their country says no. Oh, and Bernie Sanders said she had bad judgment. Criminal immigrants! Drugs! ICE just endorse me! Bad judgment! Bad judgment!

Clinton's paid speeches – you need both a public and private position

Clinton notes that … well, basically, that's politics. Just like Lincoln. (True.) Oh, and Russia is directing these attacks and hacking, to influence our election. And doing it to influence the election for Donald Trump. So why hasn't he released his tax returns?

Trump – She lied, and she's blaming it on Abraham Lincoln? (Silly argument.) Ramble, ramble, hacking, Russia, ramble, I don't know Putin, I have a great balance sheet, I did the Old Post Office, ramble, ramble, balance sheet, ramble, taxes, I pay hundreds of millinos of dollars of taxes, many of her friends take big deductions, but as soon as my audit is finished, will release my returns.

Wealthy Americans paying fair share of taxes

Trump – Clinton should have changed the tax code when in the Senate (sniff), but all her friends take this money so she could … ramble, ramble, she won't
Get rid of carried interest, bringing the tax rate down on businesses, cutting taxes big league for the middle class, Hillary is raising your taxes really high, I'm lowering them, we will be thriving, no growth in this country, no growth, taxes so high, highest in the world, she's raising everyone's taxes massively, ramble.

Clinton – Calls Trump on it. His plan cuts taxes for wealthy and corporations. Will raise taxes on the wealthy, invest in middle class.

Asking Trump about his losses and federal taxes.
Trump – Yes, I took tax write-offs, just like all her friends, and she as a Senator allowed. "I understand the tax code better than anyone who has ever run for President." I pay tremendous taxes.
Clinton? It's all talk. She's been around for 30 years and hasn't done it.
Repeats Sanders about "poor judgment".
Iraq! Left Iraq! ISIS!
(It's impossible for Clinton to respond to what Trump has said because he's shotgunning his talking points every single time.)

Trump gets called on on interrupting. Again.

Clinton – 30 years? Talking about stuff she did as First Lady, as Senator, as Secty of State.

And Trump gets chided for talking over the moderators. Again.

What would you do about Syria?

Clinton – Huge focus on Russia as the guilty party. Also, they want someone other than me as President.

Trump – Line in the sand! Nuclear program has fallen behind! Rebels end up being the bad guys! Libya! ISIS! Her foreign policy has been a disaster! (Sniff.) Iran! Russia! Against us! Assad is killing ISIS! Russia is killing ISIS!

Trump gets chided for going over time again.

Trump is asked about Syria — and what Pence has said. Trump: disagree with Pence. Need to defeat ISIS. But Iran. Ramble. Ramble. Mosul! Ramble. Needs to be a sneak attack! 200 generals and admirals endorse me! "We talk about it all the time!" Patton and MacArthur are spinning in their grave. Declines to describe his strategy in Syria.

Clinton – No US troops, but special forces, trainers. Go after ISIS leadership. Arm the Kurds.

Trump interrupts again. (As the evening goes on, he's looking more confident and cocky, more aggressive, more interruptions.)

Trump complains about Clinton going over time.

Can you be a devoted President for all the US?

Trump – Yes. Deplorables! NAFTA! Lost our manufacturing jobs! She wants TPP! She lied! About a lot of things! Inner cities! Disaster! What do you have to lose! She's been talking about this stuff for 25 years! (Sniff.) All talk. Disaster!

Clinton – Addresses the questioner. Talks about her record. Trump has raised fear, bullying.

Basket of Deplorables

Clinton – My argument is not with his supporters, but about him. Oh, and Bernie is supporting me.

Trump – Very divided nation! Murder in inner cities! "She has tremendous hate in her heart!" Deplorables, irredeemable! Cannot take another 4 years of Obama.

Discipline? Midnight tweets?

Trump – Benghazi! Tweeting is modern communication! Many followers!

Clinton – Those who know the demands of the presidency — Bill Clinton was great! — post-911 work with Bush — (runs over time) (Talks over time.)

SCOTUS! What is the most important aspect?

Clinton – How the world works — understand what people are up against. Reverse Citizen United. Recognize voting rights problems. Will stick with Roe v Wade and marriage equality. That doesn't always side with corporate interests and wealth. Senate has not done its job with voting on Garland.

Trump – Scalia great! Died recently! Judges in that mold. Respect the Constitution. Second Amendment! Oh, and Clinton is getting more contributions from special interests than me. Why isn't she donating to her own campaign like me?

Clinton – 2nd Amendment – close loopholes.

Energy policy – meet needs while being environmentally friendly and fossil fuel workers

Trump – Obama siege! EPA! Foreign countries! Need more than wind and solar! Clean coal! Natural gas! Fracking! Our energy companies will pay off our national debt! Steel! China dumping! EPA so restrictive! Go to Ohio, Pennsylvania! Disgrace!

Clinton – Oh, Trump is buying Chinese steel for his buildings. Policy wonky energy independence stuff. I have a comprehensive policy, including climate change. Revitalize coal country.

Name one positive thing in your opponent

Clinton – Respect Trump's children, able, devoted. (Segues in to final statement.)

Trump – She doesn't quit or give up. [And, amazingly, shuts up.]

And … handshake a the end, and ignores each other like cats. Clinton goes to crowd, Trump goes to family.

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