Trump is between a rock and a hard place. Please his base or persuade moderate voters.

[vinny9698]

If he comes across as diplomat Trump, he loses his supporters. His supporters believe that Trump won all the GOP primary debates because of the name calling and his telling like it is, or normal people call them gaffes. Go to any RW blog and just read their comments.
So what does he do satisfy his base and alienate moderate voters or go diplomat and piss off his base as being weak and PC. Either way he loses.

[beachbum bob]

1. I agree, trump has a real problem and its based on his narcissism....and his lack of any empathy

so he is unable to see himself thru the eyes of others....and thus, he lambasts and plays Don the Con...which will not help him in getting the college educated vote...especially the female ones

[OnDoutside]

2. No his base are locked in, he's going for the moderate

Voter tonight.

[Funtatlaguy]

3. This.

As he himself once stated, he could shoot somebody on 5th Avenue and not lose any of his supporters.
They are locked in.

[OnDoutside]

5. Yes, and the rush to run away from Flowers by his camp

Says to me that this the strategy.

[Hortensis]

7. Agree. His base are sure he's lying when he goes moderate

and are unfazed by it. His "talking to black voters" is factory-volume dog whistling. His "ending" birtherism a giant wink-wink. Etc. They're cheering this stuff on.

[OnDoutside]

8. Yes and him playing the racist buffoon is doing

Nothing to win moderates, so he will have been prepared by his campaign to spend the 90 minutes avoiding controversy and acting Presidential. They hope. If he succeeds then it could push him into the ballpark for moderates.

[radius777]

10. but he has no self-control or understanding of policy

so trying to 'act' presidential for 90 minutes in a one-on-one debate (against an excellent debater who will pound him for answers) is pretty much impossible, IMO.

This isn't like the GOP debates, where there were many candidates on the stage, where he could skate by with 'believe me' and zingers.

Hillary is the best/toughest debater he has faced yet, and it will be one on one, nowhere to hide.

[OnDoutside]

12. Ailes knew that there was no point prepping him to take Hillary on, on policy, but Trump needs to

appeal to genuine independent voters (which he hasn't been), so he needs to be able to appear like he can hold a knife and fork, so to speak. I suspect what he has been drilled with are techniques for avoiding getting caught in policy discussions, plus a number of zingers.

[Hortensis]

11. Well, let's worry IF he gets through tonight without

being himself. His campaign can't keep him from that even when he's not isolated from them on a stage in front of the yoooooooooooogest audience he'll ever have.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

4. Disagree. The morons that truly support this talking orange scrotum understand one thing.

Regardless of how either massively ignorant or just incredibly angry and hateful. They understand that he needs to lie constantly and even "play the game" in order to appear sane and appease a portion of the electorate. If he is to remain competitive. Don't underestimate these people's hate. They'll stick with his deranged ass no matter what. It's all about "winning". Nothing else matters.

[awake]

6. Do not fool yourself Trump supporters do not care if he looks "diplomatic"

He can not lose them but he can win fence sitters. Hillary has a high bar tonight she needs a clear win, I believe she will shine but do not count on Trump losing. I hope Hillary is relaxed and keeps her answers short and to the point, if she does that she can win.

[geek tragedy]

9. his putrid base of supporters is locked in. It's a matter of turning out our base. nt