Last night, our two nominees engaged in the first 2016 Presidential Debate, moderated by NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt.
On the night where many voters gained their first impressions, Hillary Clinton commanded the stage and demonstrated a strong hold on the facts. Donald Trump avoided specifics unless it was about trade; other than that, he resorted to blunt and aggressive accusations against politicians. His rhetoric and blasé statements just did not line up with the reality of his actions.
Secretary Clinton said she aims to invest in America’s future to attain job growth in infrastructure, clean renewable energy, small business promotion, and women’s equal pay. Trump accused China of using the U.S. as a piggy bank, and referred to new power plants in Mexico as both “the eighth wonder of the world,” and “a black hole” for possible American jobs. His words not only reflected the poor foreign diplomacy that he would put into effect, but also ignored the many jobs that his companies have outsourced to such countries. (David Letterman nailed revealing these lies.)
Clinton responded to Trump’s tactics with self-control, but that didn’t stop her from cracking a few jokes about the separate and twisted reality in which her opponent resides.
And who could blame her? She was debating with a serious candidate who has continuously degraded women’s value to their appearances, called pregnancy an “inconvenience” to employers, and said that women do not deserve equal pay unless they do their job well.
Remember that comment Trump made not too long ago when he said Clinton just lacked the “presidential look”? Last night, he backtracked and claimed he had only said she didn’t have the stamina. It’s okay, Donald, we all have faulty memories.
Clinton responded that he should come and talk to her about stamina as soon as he travels to 112 countries, negotiates a peace deal and ceasefire, and spends 11 hours testifying in front of a congressional committee. I don’t know about you, but I could take a page out of her book on comebacks.
In terms of economics, Clinton rejected Trump’s “trumped-up trickle down” method (good one, right?) because top-down just might not be the most effective economic system in the U.S. Recently, Clinton has emphasized both her goal to make college debt-free, and to build the middle class in order to cultivate broad and inclusive economic growth.
Trump really dug himself in deep when he supported the successful implementation of stop-and-frisk laws to inhibit crime. Wikipedia check: stop-and-frisk was ruled unconstitutional because it was proven to be a form of racial profiling and inherent prejudice. But according to Trump, that wasn’t true. (Feel free to use the fact-checkers on Hillary’s website.)
Trump went on to admit that he “hadn’t given much though to NATO.”
I’m pretty sure that as a presidential nominee you might want to brush up on some basic global policies. My message for Trump regarding his general comments about international affairs is that diplomacy is not a business. The relationships we build with other nations in order to better the free world are not opportunities for monetary profit, and the fact that you even suggest such an idea proves that you are unfit to be our leader.
The cherry on top is the discussion about temperament– I think anyone who didn’t watch can guess where this is going. Trump, of course, claimed that his temperament is simply better than Clinton’s. In fact, he has such a winning temperament it may even be his best asset.
Clinton reminded him that a man who threatened to blow Iranian sailors out of the water over harmless taunts, and who can be provoked by a mere tweet, not only has a terrible temperament, but should not be allowed anywhere near the nuclear codes.
Clinton claimed that this campaign is about the voters: it is about the type of future that Americans want. Trump, on the other hand, would be happy continuing to tell us what he thinks Americans want, and how his racist, sexist, and bigoted ways will get us there. And this is just a general overview of last night’s events.
Even if you disagree with my opinions, I encourage you to vote. It is your voice and your input as a citizen of this nation. Your vote is a privilege that many have fought to gain and maintain, so please trust that it matters.
Check out your state’s deadline for registration and absentee ballots today! Be sure to watch the Vice Presidential Debate on Oct. 4, and the next Presidential Debate on Oct. 9.