2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumTrump will approach the debate as a reality TV entertainment event, not a real debate
He will not try to debate Clinton on the issues, and the topics selected by Lester Holt are nothing but vague platitudes, so Trump very likely will be able to get away with spouting vague platitudes and bluster and dramatic, sweeping statements.
He'll even do his very best to be smiley-faced, charming (psychopaths can be very charming), and purport to provide a positive vision.
You can expect at least a few very well crafted zingers directed at Clinton. He has Roger Ailes drafting them for him. That's a guarantee.
Trump's going to try to turn the debate into a collection of sound bites rather than a substantive discussion. He's betting that his one-liners and big, dramatic statements will get replayed a lot more than Clinton reciting 5 point plans on how to combat climate change.
People expecting Clinton to mop the floor with him should realize that he's not going to be playing the same game as Clinton will be.
He's going to concede the substance of the debate entirely, because (a) he's not interested in substance; (b) he can't do substance; and (c) the central thesis of his campaign is that voters don't care about substance, but rather attitude and emotion.
His bet is that he can win the debate on style points alone.
Wounded Bear
(58,439 posts)It will definitely work on his supporters, as that is what they will expect and they will not accept defeat. Regardless of actuality, they will think he wins, because that's the way they roll.
Hopefully, enough of the American voting public can rise above the reality show hype and bullshit and see things as they really are, a serious candidate on one side and the eponymous carnival barker on the other.
Yes, Hillary will win on the issues and on real debate points. Trump might "win" on showmanship and his ability to shovel shit.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.
I find myself in the unfortunate position of agreeing with Trump that the majority of voters (especially uneducated white ones) generally make decisions like children and simpletons.
C_U_L8R
(44,891 posts)Campaigns have too much say over content and format.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)if the candidates entertain them in the right way
NoGoodNamesLeft
(2,056 posts)She is very smart and knows Trump's game. All she has to do is craft her opening statement in such a way to push all of his buttons that cause him to react. The man has NO self control and she has it in spades. All she has to do is hit him hard in the opening statement in all of the areas he's very sensitive to and it will set him off. He will forget all about what he practiced and was told to say and will become unhinged and be exposed to the viewers for the thin skinned know nothing with a foul temperament that he is.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)Two weeks? No.
90 minutes? Yes.
NoGoodNamesLeft
(2,056 posts)There aren't going to be 15 other people. During the primaries he only needed to talk a total of a few minutes. Not going to be the case this time. She will push buttons and then let him talk and hang himself. Simple.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)oberliner
(58,724 posts)That's actually what these debates have been since they started.
The only things that gets reported on from the debates are the "zingers" and those sound bites are all anyone ever remembers from them.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)oberliner
(58,724 posts)And one or two of those people were relatively reasonable human beings.