Battle showcases knowledge-adverse mogul against the deadpan Democrat
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will rise this morning with 36 hours left before they have to perform on a global stage, knowing an estimated 100 million viewers will scrutinize their every facial expression, eye movement and word. Each knows that this, the most widely watched debate in history, will heavily affect, if not determine, whether they win the White House or are consigned to the historical dustbin of also-rans.
Other than that, they should have a perfectly relaxing day.
For each, taking the podium tomorrow night will at least provide a longedfor escape from the squadrons of campaign staffers, high-priced consultants, pollsters and friends yammering at them with confident-sounding, often conflicting, advice about what to do or avoid doing. Physically and mentally exhausted from months of pounding travel, they have spent days nodding as Those-Who-Claim-To-Know pepper them with purportedly “expert” do’s and don’ts.
Each is focused on his or her specific problems, and on ways of presenting, projecting and pivoting in response to questions in order to overcome those problems.
Trump’s problems are captured by this week’s AP-GfK poll showing that 56 percent of Americans are “afraid” of the prospect of a Trump presidency, and only 28 percent believe he is even “somewhat qualified” to be president.
Although the Trump campaign denies that it is having “mock debates,” the notoriously knowledge-averse Republican nominee is likely undergoing last-minute efforts by aides anxious to keep him from gaffes (“Russia did — repeat, did — invade Crimea”) and to fabricate the appearance of policy chops (“So, again, here’s why it matters there is a NATO”).
Clinton doesn’t need schooling on issues; few presidential candidates have known more about them. Her challenge is to somehow, at this late date, puncture the caricature that has settled in the public mind that she is dishonest, humorless and severe.
Faced with the prospect of a Donald Trump fully capable of belittling her in crude terms not seen in a presidential debate since, well, the advent of Donald Trump, she is no doubt being counseled on how to parry one-liners on topics ranging from pneumonia to email servers (“I don’t care what he says: You absolutely may not refer to Trump as ‘a corpulent shyster’ ”).
The rest of us are considerably luckier. All we have to do is gather the popcorn and hold onto our hats.