The final presidential debate was aired on Wednesday, and if we walked away feeling anything, it’s sheer relief that we don’t have to hear Trump, Hillary, and an unlucky moderator scream at each other for 2 hours (hopefully) ever again. Nothing particularly new was said in this debate, but that didn’t stop the pair from pulling out all the stops, and slinging as much mud as possible within their two minute response times. If you weren’t one of the approximately 71.5 million Americans that tuned in for the debate, have no fear! We’ve compiled a list of the most important things you should know in order to contribute to those political conversations that your friends and professors will be having for the next 2.5 weeks.
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The first question was perhaps the most important
-Fox News reporter and debate moderator Chris Wallace had a pretty good hold on the evening, and that hold began the moment he started asking questions. His first, an inquiry about the importance of the Supreme Court seats up for appointment, was something that has scarcely been covered this election, despite its importance in our political future. For those of you that don’t know, there are several seats in the Supreme Court that are or will be up for grabs in the coming presidential term. Supreme Court justices are appointed for life, so if a group of radically left or right judges are appointed to these chairs, one can assume that that will have a large effect on American politics for years to come. During the debate, each candidate claimed that they would appoint justices according to what’s best for America. Clinton vowed to appoint justices that will uphold the fair treatment of all people by defending Roe v. Wade and anti-discrimination laws, and Trump alluded to his list of 20 potential names that we would appoint to protect the second amendment and pass pro-life decisions. No matter who is elected, these appointments will transcend the 4-8 years of the coming presidency and have a lasting impact on judicial decisions in America for the next several decades.
2) Late-term Abortion was discussed.
-One of the first few questions was one directed at Clinton asking her to defend her vote against an anti-late-term abortion bill. Clinton stated that there are many extenuating circumstances in which the health and safety of the mother may call for a late term–i.e. second/third trimester–abortion. Trump criticized this view, repeatedly screaming that “ripping babies from the womb at nine months, on the day of birth” is inhumane. Clinton conceded this view, then explained that that is not her definition of an acceptable late-term abortion. According to Clinton, the practice can be safely regulated, “if the health of the mother is taken into account.”
3) And the winner is… Chris Wallace
-While polls show a public favor of Clinton over Trump following the debate, the real winner of the night had to be moderator Chris Wallace. During this election season, debate moderators have been under tough scrutiny, and for good reason; it is extremely difficult to control two people who excel at screaming at each other, and the crowds that egg them on. Lester Holt, the moderator of the first election, was criticized for not fact-checking and interrupting the candidates when they ran out of time to speak. Contrastingly, the second, town-hall debate moderators Anderson Cooper and Martha Raddatz were attacked for being viciously protective of the time limits, and leaning to the left in their fact-checks (many criticisms were thrown at Trump, and supporters claimed an unfair bias toward Clinton was been displayed.) It seemed like the three debates reminded us of Goldilocks and the Three Bears; the first was too cold, the second too hot, and the third just right. Wallace was quick to silence audience jeers, and would not stop chastising both candidates until they conceded airtime back to him or their opponent. In several, frankly surprising instances, Wallace would not give in to Trump’s insistence on being given time to rebut Clinton’s arguments, silencing the man in order to move forward with questions. Clinton, who has been known to go over time, was also silenced on several occasions. After watching the debate, we only had four words to say: You go, Chris Wallace.
4) You’re either a Bad Hombre or a Nasty Woman
-… Yes, these were actual insults used by Donald Trump during the debate. The first came (unsurprisingly) during the topic of immigration, when Trump talked about the rampant problem of heroine being transferred over the border. On a roll about how “bad drug lords” were going to destroy America, he said:
“We’ll get them out, secure the border, and once the border is secured, at a later date we’ll make a determination as to the rest. But we have some bad hombres here and we’re going to get them out.” Ignoring the fact that Trump pronounced the word “hombres” as “hambres,” meaning we have some “bad hungers” running around our borders, the phrase itself underscores a deep-seated racist sentiment held by Trump and by many of his supporters. The implication that the bad people in America are Mexican immigrants that have come to spread drugs and violence is not new to the Trump campaign, but this late in the game, that rhetoric has become more dangerous than ever.
Later on in the debate, Trump interrupted Clinton during her speaking time (which she was using to criticize Trump while discussing her plan for the Social Security fund) to waggle his finger and say “she is a nasty woman.” The comment was deemed wildly unfavorable in the polls, particularly with women. In light of the comment, a hashtag began circulating boasting support for Clinton by claiming to be a fellow #nastywoman. The Upshot, a New York Times affiliated site dedicated to predicting the outcome of the election, showed plummeting support for Trump after the comment was made. As of Sunday, Trump’s chances of winning are down to about 7%.
5) Trump refused to cede the right to contest the results of the election
-When asked how he will react to results of the election, Trump did not immediately say he would accept any result. This is a big problem in America, because we have historically held a precedent of respectful succession of protest after major elections. No matter how an election turns out, the losing candidate must pledge their support and best wishes to the winner. Trump said he wasn’t ready to do this just yet, stating that he will “tell you at the time” how he feels. The next day, Trump said he will support the decision America makes, but only if he wins.
6) The Saturday Night Live sketch about this debate is the best yet
-We can’t even describe the hilarity that ensued after watching this cold open sketch starring Kate McKinnon and Alec Baldwin as our two candidates, with special guest Tom Hanks playing Wallace. The writers of the sketch held nothing back, jabbing both candidates at almost every opportunity possible. For some much needed comic relief regarding this election, you can watch the sketch here.