Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump wasted no time lobbing personal attacks against each other in Sunday’s debate. They took the stage, declined to shake hands and quickly moved on to such topics as the 2005 video in which Trump engages in “locker-room talk” about sexual assault and Clinton’s handling of former President Bill Clinton’s extramarital affairs and a rape accusation. Some other winners and losers who emerged post-debate:
WINNERS
Trump’s voter base
Their candidate pulled out all the big guns against Clinton: the 33,000 deleted emails; Benghazi; her record on the Iraq War; Bill’s infidelity; her involvement with Wall Street; and Obamacare. That’s precisely what Trump supporters had hoped to hear. Bernie Sanders
Clinton’s foe-turned-supporter was named seven times throughout the debate, six of them by Trump.At first, invocation of the Vermont senator’s name spawned silly gifs and tweets.
Bernie Sanders tonight: Keep my name out of your mouth! #Debate pic.twitter.com/56qhlhFmGD
— Oliver Chinnnnnnnnnn (@Oliverdirtyb) October 10, 2016
Butviewers also wondered how Trump would fare against Sanders on the debate floor, and even discussed writing in Sanders’ name come Nov. 8.
Karl Becker
Karl Beckerker, a member of the audience, asked what certainly was the most surprising question of the debate.
“Regardless of the current rhetoric, would either of you name one positive thing that you respect in one another,” Becker asked in the final question of the evening.
“His children,” Clinton said.
“She doesn’t quit. She doesn’t give up…She’s a fighter,” Trump followed.
LOSERS
Undecided voters
Last night’s debate was meant to bring unsure Americans to one of two candidates. It was an opportunity for voters to come out from behind moderators and askabout the issues they deem most important. But, did the debate actually change anyone’s mind? Probably not.
“I’m tired of the negativity; I’m tired of the attacks on both sides,” Garrett Thacker,a 30-year-old Republican, told theWall Street Journal, adding that the debate solidified his decisionto vote for a third-party candidate. “Hillary didn’t get pulled into his attacks, which was good. But both sides pretty much said the same thing that’s been said out on the campaign trail. If you’re a Trump supporter, you’re still going to be a Trump supporter. If you’re Hillary supporter, you’re still going to be a Hillary supporter,” Henry Vandermeir, chairman of the Democratic Party of Orange County told theO.C. Register.”I don’t know that there was anything that will change anybody’s mind.” Hillary Clinton,Donald Trump and America
The candidates jousted over sexism, racism, misogyny, “locker-room talk,” emails, 3 a.m. phone calls and a lot of other topics, while pushing policy issues to a backseat.
Donald Trump threatened to investigate Clinton for her emails if he wins the presidency, an unprecedented moment in America’s political history.
Clinton still fights to gain ground among voters after her email “scandal,” even after a congressional hearing turned up nothing.
