How will Trump come off in the debates?

[Frozen Sky Ever Why]

Some people feel Trump will destroy Hillary in the debates. Others argue that Trump will come off poorly without applause. Will the lack of applause affect the perception of Trump in the debate format?

[Maxwell]

I have literally no idea - I don't think the same thing he did in the GOP debates is going to work, but I also think he may switch it up.

[publicunofficial]

The last week has shown that Trump becomes more unhinged when he knows he's losing, or being attacked directly. I think he's going to come off as crazy, especially if the moderator fact checks him at any point.

[Lyin' Steve]

I think Clinton will prepare for these debates as she has never prepared for anything in her life while Trump will barely prepare at all and crush him by a margin of historic proportions.

But more realistically, based on what we saw in the primaries, Clinton will again have nothing more than lame excuses and distractions as her response to attacks on her various secrecies and scandals, and Trump will repeatedly humiliate her on them as I yell far better retorts at my television and write frustrated posts on the debate thread.

[Xing]

I think that Trump will try the same thing he did in the GOP debates in the first debate, and Hillary will crush him. Whether or not he tries to change things up for the last two is more of a question mark.

[Badger]

Inevitably "exceeding expectations ".

[Frodo]

If Trump gets humiliated in the first debate (as seems likely), will he show up for the remaining two? 

[TomC]

I think that Trump will try the same thing he did in the GOP debates in the first debate, and Hillary will crush him. Whether or not he tries to change things up for the last two is more of a question mark.

He knows from his experience ...that that doesn't work..."

Deja vu

[ProudModerate2]

He will try to make the debates clownish and nutty (at least the first one), but it will backfire.

[ProudModerate2]

Are the debates at this level really only one hour ?
I thought they were at least 2 hours long.

[heatcharger]

Are the debates at this level really only one hour ?
I thought they were at least 2 hours long.

All three will be 90 minutes long starting at 9 PM ET.

[OwlRhetoric]

Totally unpredictable. It could be a big win or total self-destruction.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Reagan destroyed Carter in debate.

The reason is that "debates" are not real debates.  My wife is a former college debater and knows what a real debate is.  What passes for "debates" are really little more than joint press conferences.

Reagan was intellectually lazy, and he demolished Carter because the debates aren't quiz shows.  His "There you go again!" line was devastating.  It took a minimal amount of intellectual effort and policy wonkishness to deliver, and it ended Carter's chances for re-election; he was in it up until that debate.

Hillary is more of a political animal than Carter ever was, but she doesn't have the supply of trust at a personal level as Carter did.  To the end, most folks viewed Carter as a honest and decent man of integrity, even if they didn't think much else of him than that.  Hillary doesn't have that reservoir, and will be more vulnerable to Trump's attacks.  People will not feel sorry for Hillary when the mud starts flying, and it WILL fly in both directions.

Whatever the outcome of the election, I'm predicting that Trump "wins" the debates.  He will gain more and lose less in them than Hillary will. 

[Gustaf]

One thought that struck me - does it matter that all of Trump's debates in the primaries featured an entire field of candidates? Will he benefit or lose from being 1-on-1?

My intuition is that Trump benefited from being able to swoop in every now and then with some Trump BS but that in this format all the scrutiny will gradually make him look sillier. But I could be wrong.

It'll be interesting to see how Clinton handles Trump no doubt crazy attacks on her. That's what I'd be worried about.

[Erich Maria Remarque]

"I will do X great again! Fast! So fast! Believe me!"
"Crooked Hillary will NEVER be able to handle is! We have to stop her!"
"The system is rigged. Your question is rigged!"
"Lyin' Hillary refuses to say the words RADICAL ISLAM!"


Will it work? I don't know

[Fuzzy Bear]

"I will do X great again! Fast! So fast! Believe me!"
"Crooked Hillary will NEVER be able to handle is! We have to stop her!"
"The system is rigged. Your question is rigged!"
"Lyin' Hillary refuses to say the words RADICAL ISLAM!"


Will it work? I don't know

Trump got a lot of traction out of the "rigged system" issue because he exposed the rigging.  He pointed out that in the audience of the GOP debates was a huge number of Establishment Donors, and that the RNC controlled attendance to these debates.  People LOVED that because it was the kind of being let in on a secret that folks WANT from their candidates. 

The upcoming debates will be different; there will be no more than 2-3 candidates on stage, and probably just Hillary.  The "rigged" issue will be much harder to advance, and the opponent will not be interested in any 11th commandment; it'll be slash and burn.  There will be no good will at this debate; indeed, I wonder if there will even be a handshake at any point of the debate.

[cMac36]

I am not convinced he will debate at all..  sounds weird since he'll prob be losing so he might be talked into it by his advisors but he reportedly hates debate prep and has no attn span accd to Art of the deal ghostwriter dude.  

Hillary is corrupt liar but obviously is smarter and fifty times more kknowlegeable on the issues than Trump.  Trump also dislikes being embarrassed see the correspondents dinner 2012.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

You all will freak out, but the rest of America will call it a draw.

[Nyvin]

Here's all you need to know:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVlqBjNLpQc

[Inmate Trump]

Trump can't win a debate on policy. If he wins, it'll be purely on name calling and general BS rhetoric that has no real substance....just general statements (aka, his usual lies).

That said, even if he loses, none of his supporters will care.

[Fargobison]

I can see Trump begging that Stein and Johnson be let in. The smaller the debate field got in the primary the worse he was.

The guy is the master of the drive by comment or attack but if he has to give any kind of depth he turns into a rage filled robot.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Reagan destroyed Carter in debate.

The reason is that "debates" are not real debates.  My wife is a former college debater and knows what a real debate is.  What passes for "debates" are really little more than joint press conferences.

Reagan was intellectually lazy, and he demolished Carter because the debates aren't quiz shows.  His "There you go again!" line was devastating.  It took a minimal amount of intellectual effort and policy wonkishness to deliver, and it ended Carter's chances for re-election; he was in it up until that debate.

Hillary is more of a political animal than Carter ever was, but she doesn't have the supply of trust at a personal level as Carter did.  To the end, most folks viewed Carter as a honest and decent man of integrity, even if they didn't think much else of him than that.  Hillary doesn't have that reservoir, and will be more vulnerable to Trump's attacks.  People will not feel sorry for Hillary when the mud starts flying, and it WILL fly in both directions.

Whatever the outcome of the election, I'm predicting that Trump "wins" the debates.  He will gain more and lose less in them than Hillary will. 

No, because Hillary won't care about appearing nice. The GOPers were scared of Trump and pissing off his "legions" Hillary isn't. Reagan was a competent media performer and could speak to policy, Trump can't and Hillary will call his bull****.

I've said from day one, if there's anyone who isn't afraid of Trump, you know who it is.

[Erich Maria Remarque]

Reagan destroyed Carter in debate.

The reason is that "debates" are not real debates.  My wife is a former college debater and knows what a real debate is.  What passes for "debates" are really little more than joint press conferences.

Reagan was intellectually lazy, and he demolished Carter because the debates aren't quiz shows.  His "There you go again!" line was devastating.  It took a minimal amount of intellectual effort and policy wonkishness to deliver, and it ended Carter's chances for re-election; he was in it up until that debate.

Hillary is more of a political animal than Carter ever was, but she doesn't have the supply of trust at a personal level as Carter did.  To the end, most folks viewed Carter as a honest and decent man of integrity, even if they didn't think much else of him than that.  Hillary doesn't have that reservoir, and will be more vulnerable to Trump's attacks.  People will not feel sorry for Hillary when the mud starts flying, and it WILL fly in both directions.

Whatever the outcome of the election, I'm predicting that Trump "wins" the debates.  He will gain more and lose less in them than Hillary will. 

No, because Hillary won't care about appearing nice. The GOPers were scared of Trump and pissing off his "legions" Hillary isn't. Reagan was a competent media performer and could speak to policy, Trump can't and Hillary will call his bull****.

I've said from day one, if there's anyone who isn't afraid of Trump, you know who it is.

Putin?

[Hermit For Peace]

Trump can't win a debate on policy. If he wins, it'll be purely on name calling and general BS rhetoric that has no real substance....just general statements (aka, his usual lies).

That said, even if he loses, none of his supporters will care.

That's what mystifies me. What exactly DO his supporters care about?

[Hermit For Peace]

There is NO reason for anyone to assume that Trump is going to be any different than he already is.

All he knows how to do is belittle people, trash talk people, attack people, and try to use mind manipulation (such as "Crooked Hillary") to sway people's opinions his way.

What does he know about policy? What does he know about politics?

Is he going to come across as Presidential? How can he when he doesn't do that now?

Trump does not change. I think he will flame out in the debates. He's got nothing.