The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
After trial by TV
a turning point six weeks before election day, but it was unclear whether either candidate would reap significant gains.
They are locked in a close race and competing vigorously to win over undecided voters.
Although he said on Twitter he had “really enjoyed” the debate, Mr Trump accused moderator Lester Holt of a left-leaning performance and going harder on him than on Mrs Clinton. He insisted he had “no sniffles” and no allergies despite the #snifflegate speculation that had exploded on social media.
Still, Mr Trump insisted he got the better of Mrs Clinton, awarding her a Cplus while declining to assign himself a grade.
He also said he had planned to tackle Bill Clinton for his “many affairs” and stopped himself solely because daughter Chelsea Clinton had been in the room. The two are slated to face each other again in St Louis on October 9. Asked about the possibility Mr Trump could pull out, Mrs Clinton said she would show up regardless. “If I’m the only person on stage, well, you know, I’m the only person on stage,” she said.
Mr Trump’s latest comments about Alicia Machado, the 1996 Miss Universe, were striking in that they come just as he is working to broaden his appeal among women. Aiming to capitalise on his renewed focus on a woman’s weight, Mrs Clinton’s campaign dispatched Ms Machado – who is backing Mrs Clinton – to tell reporters how she spent years struggling with eating disorders after being humiliated publicly by Mr Trump.
The two candidates’ first face-to-face showdown the night before was confrontational from the start, with Mr Trump frequently trying to interrupt Mrs Clinton and speaking over her answers. She was more measured and restrained, often smiling through his answers, well aware of the cameras’ presence.
Mr Trump tried aggressively to pin America’s problems on Mrs Clinton.
However the Democrat, showing her intensive preparations, went after him as hard or harder, including sharp criticism of his business practices and false assertions about president Barack Obama’s birthplace, which she called part of a pattern of “racist behaviour”.
She criticised Mr Trump for refusing to release his tax returns, declaring: “There’s something he’s hiding.” When Mrs Clinton suggested his refusal might be because he paid nothing in federal taxes, he interrupted to say: “That makes me smart.”
The centrepiece of Mr Trump’s case against Mrs Clinton is that the former senator and secretary of state is little more than a career politician who has squandered opportunities to address the domestic and international problems she is now pledging to tackle as president.
When Mr Trump made a crack about Mrs Clinton taking time off the campaign trail to prepare for the debate, she turned it into a validation of her readiness.
“I think Donald just criticised me for preparing for this debate,” Mrs Clinton said. “And you know what else I prepared for? I prepared to be president. I think that’s a good thing.”