CleverBomb
On Space Out
Snap polls from credible pollsters show a clear Clinton win (CNN and YouGov); GOP focus group shows a Trump win, CNN focus group shows a Clinton win.
A clear, but not decisive, win. Mr. Trump exceeded expectations by merely showing up.
Sec. Clinton succeeded in being her usual competent self and presenting a Presidential image while doing so.
Mr. Trump succeeded in being his usual bombastic, domineering self, and presenting the image of a somewhat unhinged wannabe President-for-Life of a third-world autocracy.
Anyone who was all-in with Mr. Trump as "The Donald, Implacable Foe of Hillary" saw what they wanted to see from him, in spades. The ones who would have held their noses to vote for him but nonetheless would because of the (R) on his ballot line... not so much. Especially Republican women.
But he did do better than expected, which now places Republican downticket candidates in a quandary: they don't have an easy excuse to bail on him now. This is particularly a problem since he motivated his base tonight, bigly [yes, it's supposed to be "big league"], and they need those voters to turn out for them as well. Disavow him, and lose those voters; don't, and lose moderates and Republican women as well as motivating opposition voters...
And as with the VP debate, many of Sec. Clinton's apparently pulled punches will end up as campaign-ad ammunition. Between that and the next round of opposition news-drops, it looks like it'll be another bad week for Mr. Trump.
On the other hand... as I noted, he did exceed expectations, and gave the Breit-base the red meat they needed. I wonder if that will be enough to bring his partisans (and particularly his "non-"partisans) back to give their side of things again.
A clear, but not decisive, win. Mr. Trump exceeded expectations by merely showing up.
Sec. Clinton succeeded in being her usual competent self and presenting a Presidential image while doing so.
Mr. Trump succeeded in being his usual bombastic, domineering self, and presenting the image of a somewhat unhinged wannabe President-for-Life of a third-world autocracy.
Anyone who was all-in with Mr. Trump as "The Donald, Implacable Foe of Hillary" saw what they wanted to see from him, in spades. The ones who would have held their noses to vote for him but nonetheless would because of the (R) on his ballot line... not so much. Especially Republican women.
But he did do better than expected, which now places Republican downticket candidates in a quandary: they don't have an easy excuse to bail on him now. This is particularly a problem since he motivated his base tonight, bigly [yes, it's supposed to be "big league"], and they need those voters to turn out for them as well. Disavow him, and lose those voters; don't, and lose moderates and Republican women as well as motivating opposition voters...
And as with the VP debate, many of Sec. Clinton's apparently pulled punches will end up as campaign-ad ammunition. Between that and the next round of opposition news-drops, it looks like it'll be another bad week for Mr. Trump.
On the other hand... as I noted, he did exceed expectations, and gave the Breit-base the red meat they needed. I wonder if that will be enough to bring his partisans (and particularly his "non-"partisans) back to give their side of things again.
