Calmer Trump but still scary
The third United States presidential debate was thankfully a move back from the reality television madness wrought by Donald Trump.
It was a more restrained, relatively disciplined showing from the maverick Republican nominee as he faced off against Hillary Clinton in Las Vegas.
Buffeted by days of accusations that he groped or forced unwanted attentions on women – following a tape where he bragged of his ability to get away with such behaviour – Trump dropped the pacing that marked the second debate, and largely kept to the format.
But in other ways the calmer Trump was just as scary, perhaps more so.
The biggest demonstration of this was his troubling answer to one of the most basic of democratic questions.
He refused to say if he would accept the result of the November 8 election if it went against him. That even threw the unflappable moderator Chris Wallace who pressed him on the issue.
‘‘I’ll keep you in suspense,’’ Trump said.
It’s another astonishing stance for someone running for one of the most powerful jobs in the world.
Trump has been busily sewing the seeds of a campaign ‘‘rigged’’ against him. On one level he could just be creating an excuse if he loses as most polls suggest he will.
But if he is hinting at a legal challenge – over unsupported claims of voter fraud or Clinton’s email use as Secretary of State that he says should have ruled her out of the running – the resulting paralysis could cause shockwaves around the world.
As for the debate, it’s almost beside the point who ‘‘won’’ because the candidates are so different.
Clinton was well-prepared, focussed and forceful at times, though perhaps she too has been infected by these extraordinary times.
Some of her personal jabs against Trump seemed needless, especially when he is quite capable of damaging himself.
Trump said the claims of his women accusers had been debunked (they haven’t) and suggested they had been put up to it by the Clinton campaign.
He said: ‘‘Nobody has more respect for women than me.’’
It was said quietly, with a straight face. Scary.
It’s almost beside the point who ‘‘won’’ because the candidates are so different.