Donald trumped, but not out
HE may be down, but Trump is definitely not out. Just ask him.
The great divide between the two candidates was never more stark than yesterday’s third US presidential debate.
One candidate was articulate and incisive, and offered stable, sensible and progressive policy platforms. The other was Donald Trump. However, if people expected Trump to be struggling to get his message across in light of weeks of bad press, they were disappointed.
Hillary Clinton didn’t put a foot wrong in the debate, but Trump nonetheless managed to land a few knockout blows on her.
Trump sounded strong and convincing, and there was no sign he’s about to give up.
This final debate was much more focused on policy than previous showdowns, and presented the best picture yet on how the United States would be different under each candidate.
Right from the start Clinton showed her progressive leanings, pledging to ensure the Supreme Court will stand up for women’s rights, gay and transgender communities, and protect abortion rights, equal pay and marriage equality.
These are solid issues much supported by the Democratic faithful and are designed to exploit Trump’s weakness with women.
Conversely, Trump noted that he has already listed 20 potential Justices of the Supreme Court who were all conservative and pro-life.
Clinton also took a strong stand on controversial late-term abortions, noting that “I do not think the US Government should be stepping in and making those most personal decisions”.
Trump played effectively to his ultra-conservative base, noting that such laws mean that “in the ninth month you can take the baby and rip the baby out of the womb of the mother”. “It’s not okay with me,” he said. On immigration Trump showed he wasn’t backing down from his previous stance on building a wall between the US and Mexico. “I want to build the wall, they want the wall,” he said.
Clinton accused him of rounding up 15 million people who are undocumented and said it was an idea that would “rip our country apart”.
Although Clinton had a more sophisticated approach and a more nuanced understanding of policy issues, Trump managed to get his messages through on issues such as immigration, gun control, foreign policy and character.
His simple speech and emotive language will go across well in middle-America.
Clinton came across as being very middle-class and very much a political insider.
Trump was quick to exploit this, noting that: “The one thing you have over me is experience but it is bad experience”.
When Clinton pledged to change the economy for the better, Trump asked her: “Why the hell didn’t you do it over the past 15 years?”
Trump was most convincing on the issues that have long resonated with blue-collar workers who have been hardest hit by the lack of US manufacturing and economic downturn. Trump was on shakier ground when the pair got around to discussing their fitness to hold office.
He said the stories of him behaving inappropriately to women had been “largely debunked”.
Clinton was at her best attacking him in this area, noting that “Donald thinks belittling women makes him look bigger”.
Trump even blamed Clinton and her campaign for orchestrating the accusations and paying people to be violent at his rallies.
In true form he also accused the media of being dishonest and corrupt and of “millions of people registered to vote who shouldn’t be registered to vote”.
The debate was bogged down occasionally in personal abuse and moderator Chris Wallace struggled at times to keep control.
For months people have been waiting for the Trump campaign to implode, but he’s managed to weather scandal after scandal.
There’s a growing feeling that voters have had their fun, and enjoyed such an enigmatic and unusual candidate.
But Trump’s performance today shows he’s certainly not giving up.