Hillary takes round one, say pundits
WASHINGTON: The Donald Trump that showed up at this presidential election’s most spectacular showdown so far was one everyone knows: combative, underprepared, easily riled and still, after months of campaigning, frequently off-message.
Hillary Clinton was also everything she was expected to be: well prepared — over-prepared, according one observer — ready with her policy and facts, answers rehearsed to fit the two-minute reply slot, and the right zingers, and plenty of them. They clashed on how they will create jobs, the first subject of the evening, and one of the main issues this election, trade, terrorism, Iran, racism, taxation, and their vision for the US.
Trump dominated the first 20 of the 90-minute debate. Clinton took charge then and had him defending himself for the rest, as only Trump could — interrupting her, talking over her.
So who won? Difficult to say. But here are some observations in the US media. “Clinton jabs put Trump on defense,” ran a headline in The Washington Post. The New York Times, which has endorsed Clinton, said in an editorial: “On balance, she pulled it off, swatting his attacks aside and confidently delivering her own criticisms from higher, firmer ground.” Wall Street Journal agreed: “There’s little doubt that Mrs. Clinton won on debating points.”
Though this debate may not move the needle significantly in a race that has tightened into a dead heat — Clinton’s lead is down to 2.3 points in RealClearPolitics average of polls— some observers said it could stop Trump’s surge.
