Both teams prepare for the biggest moment of 2016 – the Sept. 26 debate. Great info on their prep!

[Native]

The final stretch of the longest presidential campaign in history opens this week. Think it’s been ugly? You’ve seen nothing yet.

Both Hillary Clinton’s and Donald Trump’s teams see September as the month that will make — or break — their candidate’s case for the White House. A confident Clinton fighting to keep expectations in check will ratchet up her get-out-the-vote operation while courting more Republicans to her camp. A defiant Trump will double down on the America-first message that he thinks got him this far in the first place. The Democrat's allies will continue to blanket the battleground airwaves with stinging attacks on Trump’s character. And three weeks into the month, early voting periods will open, state by state.

But nothing is more crucial for either contender than Sept. 26, when Clinton and Trump will meet at Hofstra University for the first presidential debate. Both campaigns have come to the conclusion that for the Republican nominee to compete in the homestretch, he needs a shock to the system and the Hempstead, New York, forum offers his best opportunity.

“I don’t think there’s any question — especially when it seems like the electorate is firming up and it seems like there are less and less undecideds at this point” — that the debate is an inflection point, said Democratic Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, a prominent Clinton supporter. “It does feel like Trump’s hit some sort of a ceiling. If there’s any way to break that loose, he’s got to somehow magically understand foreign policy and complexities of domestic policy, and have to tell the truth, too."

The article really gets into the thinking of both camps and what each feels they need to lock it up and nail it down. Very informative.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-september-debate-227714

[Farmgirl1961]

1. What is considered success for both candidates?

Trump succeeds if he shows up to the debate. Hillary succeeds if she appears more personable and trust worthy. Everyone knows she knows her stuff and Trump is a blabber mouth. In spite of his incompetence and her high degree of competence, she has a much higher bar for "winning " the Debate

[Native]

2. Hill's camp is putting everything into this first debate in the event there aren't any more...

if the article is correct, that is. Also this:

Clinton has stuck to consulting with this inner circle, which thinks general-election debates are policy discussions and that Trump can’t emerge unscathed in the eyes of undecided voters from a substantive test on the issues.

And this:

“It does feel like Trump’s hit some sort of a ceiling. If there’s any way to break that loose, he’s got to somehow magically understand foreign policy and complexities of domestic policy, and have to tell the truth, too."

Personally, I'm banking on Wednesday night's Commander-in-Chief forum to put this to bed. They won't be debating each other and they'll be appearing back to back, but they will be taking questions from the audience (military families) and NBC news. Considering that Donald has done zero prep when it comes to policy, I can't see this being anything but a complete disaster for him, assuming NBC presses him for real answers. And if they give him a complete pass when he has nothing of substance to say, I can't see that being anything but a total disaster for the press. Their credibility is at an all time low, & if they don't hold Donald to the same standard as Hillary at this forum, I can't see them every recovering from that.

[peggysue2]

4. Agreed!

I think the forum is an inflection point of its own: appearing suitably informed and articulate to carry the sobering mantle of Commander-in-Chief. This isn't a platform where BS is going to win the day. Yes, the bar is lower than low for Trump but he's going to be on the hot seat where slogans and platitudes simply will not cut it. The advantage goes to Hillary Clinton on this appearance and I fully expect her to dominate.

[mcar]

5. What forum?

[Native]

7. This Wednesday night! MSNBC. Will u be able to watch? Deets...

http://www.nbcnews.com/video/the-commander-in-chief-forum-751866435567
http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/msnbc-nbc-news-present-the-first-ever-commander-chief-forum

MSNBC & NBC News present the first-ever Commander-in-Chief Forum
08/26/16 03:34 PM—UPDATED 08/31/16 11:31 AM

On Wednesday, September 7, NBC News and MSNBC with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America present a historic event: The Commander-in-Chief Forum live from New York City.

During this one-hour forum, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will be on stage back-to-back taking questions on national security, military affairs and veterans issues from NBC News and an audience comprised mainly of military veterans and active service members.

The event will air live on MSNBC at 8 p.m. ET and will be simulcast live on NBC in most markets. Check listings if you live in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. The event will also air on NBC in its entirety at 8 p.m. PT and 9 p.m. MT.

I hope someone starts a thread!

[mcar]

8. I hope so!

[DURHAM D]

3. Forget the trustworthy thing.

That has been in place since April of 1994. She can not change it. Only the media can check themselves and they won't. They created it and they still love it, partly because they are lazy and partly because they want to be liked by their peers and overseers and partly because they don't give a shit about anyone other than themselves.

It will be with her through out her Presidency.

There is a reason why 82% of the population does not thing the media is trustworthy. This is one of the reasons.

[etherealtruth]

6. Unfortunately, you are correct about the media construct r/t Hillary Clinton

They have created a caricature and ran with it.

Sadly, it gave me pause during the primaries. Not because I think she is untrustworthy, incompetent, or any of the other negatives the media fairly arbitrarily attributed to her .... but because the media has been hammering away at her for 2-3 decades (and the media is powerful, why else would the short fingered vulgarian be viewed as anything but a joke?)

Clinton is extremely competent ... I adore and relate to her wonkishness and I can't seem to get worked up about the Clinton Foundation, her emails or any other contrived misdeeds.