Notably, both candidates claimed the next day they won the debate.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

Tellingly enough, Donald Trump also attacked Lester Holt's questioning, claimed there was a faulty microphone, and doubled down on a decades-old insult of a Miss Universe contestant, while some of his surrogates (Giuliani) encouraged him not to attend future debates.

And Hillary Clinton....well, she just said she won the debate.

[Orrex]

1. NPR has basically called it a draw

Yes, they cited the CNN poll with 62% of respondents naming Clinton as the victor, but beyond that their analysis has been decidedly hands-off.

They'll go so far as to say that Trump has hurt his momentum, or that Clinton made gains, but they certainly don't say "she won the debate," and they immediately remind us that she has trouble appealing to Millennials, and that people still find her untrustworthy and untruthful.

Most of the coverage I've seen has been post hoc interview with so-called "undecided" voters, almost all of whom found their views unchanged after the debate.


In other words, NPR--the paragon of Liberal Media--lacks the courage or integrity to recognize the obvious winner.

[The Genealogist]

3. I turned of NPR in 2004 due to the way they handled election coverage

Not gone back since.

[Orrex]

4. Lately I complain about them nearly every day

Their 2012 coverage was terrible as well. Long after everyone else had recognized that Romney was doomed, NPR and the Romney campaign were the only ones who still thought that it would be a close contest.

[loyalsister]

2. Why wouldn't they?

Has that actually ever taken place? Two political rules of thumb don't admit to bad behaviors and desperately avoid saying you were wrong. And never ever accept the possibility of loss until it is legally determined.

There are no rules in these debates, thus they are not winnable. They are nothing more than competing campaign ads.