My thoughts on the debate, and this relates to people who watched the debate not being 100% sure who they would vote for or if they would vote:
- Body language: Overall, Trump looked like a buffoon. The way he awkwardly loomed behind Hillary when she was speaking, the way he kept fidgeting when trying to stand in place, the constant interruptions that were cringeworthy to watch, attacking the moderators, and the nervous breakdown 15 minutes into the debate -- those are going to resonate with voters and will confirm to people on the sidelines that Trump is who we thought he was. As for Hillary, and I hate this type of criticism but I will point it out, is she smiled at the wrong times. It worked perfectly in the first debate, because it was a nice counter to Trump's lunatic ramblings. But this debate was more somber and the environment was more tense, and it would've played off better with some people if she stayed serious throughout.
- The absurd statements: In this one debate, Trump managed to say half a dozen things that, each on their own, would destroy a normal campaign. And, for people in the middle paying attention, they must have come across as tremendously bizarre. Some examples: saying not only does he disagree with Pence but that they don't talk, saying he will have Hillary arrested if he becomes president, questioning Hillary for not investing tens of millions into her own campaign (basically saying that only the super-rich should run for president), doubling down on the birther thing, going after Bill Clinton, and ineffectively ascribing his leaked video to "locker room talk."
- Hillary misfires: She had many opportunities to nail some responses but fumbled a few times. There was plenty of stuff to rebut about Trump, but sometimes she would go off on a tangent so that she could talk about herself or her policies. But overall if people were looking for deep understanding of policy and details, she allowed that to shine through many times. People may not agree with her specific policies, but I think they will appreciate her command of these subjects. Especially in contrast to Trump, who on a number of occasions made it clear he has a poor grasp on most issues.
All together, Trump did better than we expected, but I think we were expecting him to jump off a bridge after 10 minutes. Given the current situation of the race, he would've had to have the greatest performance ever while Hillary imploded to make this a competitive race again. Instead, he only reinforced his public image and removed any chance that people will give him the benefit of the doubt on his business failures, his taxes, his knowledge of foreign affairs, his understanding of minorities, his treatment of women, etc. So maybe he won a couple moments but he lost this election over this past weekend.
edit: to go along with what I said about Hillary smiling, I just saw this opinion piece on the NYT that says it much better:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...-trump-second-debate-election-2016/dont-smile
Hillary Clinton is running against a man who threatens to use presidential power to put her in jail. A man who brags about committing sexual assault, openly admits to not paying taxes, and tenaciously supports the kleptocrat Vladimir Putin.
And yet, every time Trump lied, made a threat, or loomed behind her in a menacing way in the debate last night, she smiled. Her eyes widened with incredulity, they crinkled, and she grinned. What people saw, though, wasn’t amusement. It was sarcasm and contempt. That smile had some gotcha in it, and a hint of fear. It felt fake, and I’m sure it made people distrust her.
She should not be smiling. None of us should. We are facing the abyss.
I know all the arguments about the double standard for women, how if you don’t smile, you come off as grim, *****y, mean. All women have been trapped in that bind, that damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t, for most of our lives. Maybe the smile is automatic, a tic.
She needs to quash it. To fire the media trainers who tell her to be relatable. To stop trying to be likable. We need her to be serious. Neither Tim Kaine nor Mike Pence smiled during their debate. Trump did nothing but scowl, and everyone says he did better than expected. I don’t believe Angela Merkel would smile on that stage, or Theresa May, or Nicola Sturgeon.
A good leader channels her followers’ emotions; she doesn’t try to ingratiate herself with them. It seems clear to me that Clinton will be a good, maybe even a great, leader. But first, she needs to show us that she understands the gravity of the situation. She needs to help us bear our anxiety. Someone has to tell her: Don’t smile.
why we gotta know from email hacks CNN is IN FACT da Clinton News Network bought & paid for? 
whywesteppin
- every time he opens his mouth, he confirms he knows nothing about what he's actually talking about. Typical of a lying salesman... His people have given him some talking points & he just runs with it. I'm in utter amazement that people accept this. 
