What if pigs fly and trump somehow pulls out a victory in first debate?

[Matty]

Would it affect poles more than the romney first debate win?

[‼realJohnEwards‼]

I don't think many Poles will be watching the debates...

[OwlRhetoric]

Would it affect poles more than the romney first debate win?

Yes. Public image of Trump would spike, and Hillary's would bomb. She also has none of Obama's charisma, so I don't know that she could fix her issues in the next few debates. Her public persona is a lot more rigid and not as adaptable as Obama, who quickly stepped up to bring the fight to Romney.

The debates are more about personality than swaying voters on policy anyway.

[Hermit For Peace]

What would be considered a victory in a debate?

We all know that Hillary knows more about policy and the office of President and politics in general and just about everything you want a politician to know about.

Debates don't make or break a candidate, but consistency over the course of a campaign....that's another consideration.

The only way that Trump can be perceived as "winning" a debate is if he talks trash and dirty and catches Hillary off guard that way. But what kind of leader of people does that?

In my mind Trump has already lost the whole election and everything associated with it.

[afleitch]

If he does, he'll gish gallop his way to a perceived 'win'.

[Erich Maria Remarque]

Would it affect poles more than the romney first debate win?

Yes. Public image of Trump would spike, and Hillary's would bomb. She also has none of Obama's charisma, so I don't know that she could fix her issues in the next few debates. Her public persona is a lot more rigid and not as adaptable as Obama, who quickly stepped up to bring the fight to Romney.

The debates are more about personality than swaying voters on policy anyway.

[PeteB]

As strange as it sounds, that may very well happen:

1. Trump enters the debate with extremely low expectations.  If he shows that he knows what the Nuclear Triad is or that India borders Pakistan, it would count as a big win.
2. The debates have seldom been about policy (at least since 1962) but more about soundbite entertainment, and playing up to the audience.  In spite of her experience, Clinton is an absolute beginner in this respect vis-a-vis Trump, who is very comfortable in front of the camera.
3. Hillary on the other hand has to positively "kill Trump", in order to prove a point that he does not have the knowledge or the temperament to be POTUS.  This is a tall order in any environment, and especially in this case when she is really on his (entertainment) turf.
4. If the consensus opinion, coming out of the debates, is that there was no winner, Trump will have won.

[Xing]

Then god help us all.

[Erich Maria Remarque]

3. Hillary on the other hand has to positively "kill Trump", in order to prove a point that he does not have the knowledge or the temperament to be POTUS.  This is a tall order in any environment, and especially in this case when she is really on his (entertainment) turf.

This!

Sometimes I think, that Trump is a f**king genius and planned it from the beginning. But then he talks about Megyn/Khan/Cruz wife/you name it.

If not for those terrible gaffes, I'd think that Trump is at the same time the smartest poker and chess player ever.

[Ebowed]

Expectations are very low that even just his actually showing up would be spun as a "win" by the media.  The more he is able to string coherent sentences together, the more of a "win" he amasses.

This will probably be the height of COULD-HE-WIN? mania, after he "wins" the first debate by managing to keep his cool and not referring to Hillary Clinton as a bitch while standing on the same stage as her for two hours.

I hope all of our forum Democrats and sympathizers are prepared for what will be a very unpleasant couple of days, after Trump "wins" the first debate.

[Simfan34]

Would it affect poles more than the romney first debate win?

I don't know. You should be asking Kalwejt, not us.

[Coolface Sock #42069]

I think it's almost certain that Trump will "win" that first debate in the eyes of the media. They want their horse race and will do anything to get it.

[Maxwell]

I don't think it's a "pigs fly" situation. I think Trump has a chance to beat rather low expectations, potentially by a significant margin. I think Clinton has the potential to sound rather rehearsed in comparison to Trump.

[ursulahx]

Since this thread is something of a fantasy anyway, I'd like to speculate a little. I wonder if there'll be so much media talk in the days running up to the election that "expectations are very low for Trump" and "all Trump has to do is show up" that it will perversely end up raising expectations for him. Just wishful thinking on my part, perhaps, but there are so many words written and spoken every day about this election that expectations rise and fall within 24 hours.

[Krago]

I think it is equally likely that Trump pulls - in the words of the Tamarians - a 'Rick Lazio at WNED Studios'.  He does something to physically intimidate Hillary and it backfires on him, badly.

[ursulahx]

I think it is equally likely that Trump pulls a 'Rick Lazio at WNED Studios'.  He does something to physically intimidate Hillary and it backfires on him, badly.

I imagine Conway and maybe even Miller have specifically made this the Number One Don't when briefing him. Of course, there's always a chance he'll forget their advice...

(Trump tears up paper in Clinton's face in debate. Trump afterwards: "Did you see what I did? That was great television!" Media: CLINTON COWERS IN FACE OF TRUMP CONFIDENCE.)

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Well, it's nice to at least have the liberal mainstream finally understand what we meant when we said that things are always unfairly stacked against Hillary Clinton.

Still scary as hell though.

[Landslide Lyndon]

The media tried to present the Biden-Palin debate as a draw.
And then the instant polls came in and everybody shut up.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

I'm confident though that Clinton's advisors are very prepared for this dynamic and are prepping her for it accordingly.

[Spark]

It will happen. And he could win all three if he attends. The only way she could win is if he doesn't show up.

[Erich Maria Remarque]

The media tried to present the Biden-Palin debate as a draw.
And then the instant polls came in and everybody shut up.

Some (you know who ) tried to present Hillary Trump=alt right speech like a game-changer, while Trump's immigration speech like "the election is over"...

But... delusion is strong... you know... right..?

[Hermit For Peace]

It will happen. And he could win all three if he attends. The only way she could win is if he doesn't show up.

Must be nice living in a fantasy world.

[Xing]

It will happen. And he could win all three if he attends. The only way she could win is if he doesn't show up.