"Debating" Donald Trump

[mothra1orbit]

is worse than an exercise in futility. Every time Hillary is put in the position of having to respond to his ridiculous statements, she legitimatizes him as a candidate. I'll be glad when the third debate is over--better yet, I hope Trump refuses to participate, and it's cancelled.

Stephen Jay Gould famously refused to engage with creationists about evolution. I wish Hillary could do the same with Trump. Unfortunately she has to treat him as her equal. Bleauggh.

How maddening. This intelligent, accomplished, experienced woman who has dedicated her life to public service has to allow herself to be equated to an intellectually incurious, selfish, hateful, racist, misogynistic wart. Where's my Compound W?

[Stellar]

1. It feels as though she's in the ring with a fifth grader!

Whiney little B*tch!

[BSdetect]

2. Sadly true

I get very upset when some media people talk as if he can "recover" or look "presidential".

What are they seeing.

He is a cretin.

Devoid of intelligence.

[texasfiddler]

3. Hillary is doing as well as she can in the debates

I actually think that after each bruising and excruciating debate, she looks a little stronger, a little more poised and a little more presidential. As a woman, that is her biggest potential "weakness". I believe Trump's ceiling is 42%. That will not change. Hillary just needs to maintain her 45% and add a couple more points before the election for good measure. These additional points will have the biggest impact in the swing states. I would love to see the massive blowout we all want, but I don't think it is going to happen.

[Wounded Bear]

4. Chris Hayes was talking last night...

He made an important point. In all of the debates that turned into shit-show level food fights, the common denominator was Trump. He used the "bad roommate" analogy, where if you have a string of "bad roommates," maybe you are the bad roommate.

[pinboy3niner]

5. Hillary handles it like a pro

He unleashes a flood of gishgallop, dropping mentions of many things, far too much for her to answer. She focuses only on the most significant, demolishing them handily. That's what a pro does.

She handed him his ass again and again. He looked like a winner only to his diehards.

[Capt. Obvious]

6. My take

I can't understand how anyone can honestly say that this debate was anything but a disaster for Trump.

In the past 48 hours his supporters have been in all out anger phase and he continued that in the debate. His debate prep seemed to be reading the bumper stickers outside of one of his rallies. It was as if r/the_donald was debating last night.

When does the bargaining phase begin?