# OFFICIAL Third Debate 10/19/16 Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 19, 2016, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995 "2016-10-19T01:00:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 42
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/821 "2016-10-20T16:08:37Z")
> [@tim-n-va](#): > > … other than a nice tradition, does it matter if someone concedes? Yes. Perhaps more in these more polarized times than ever before. But not as a matter of law. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/822 "2016-10-20T16:08:59Z")
Didn’t everybody have them in advance, kinda? If you know what the subjects are, you pretty much already know what Il Douche is going to say, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/823 "2016-10-20T16:11:48Z")
> [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](#): > > Trump is now apparently arguing that [Chris Wallace gave Clinton the debate questions in advance](http://www.politicususa.com/2016/10/20/trump-claims-fox-newss-chris-wallace-rigged-debate-hillary-clinton.html). I didn’t have the emotional strength to watch the debate. Were any questions surprising at all? Didn’t Wallace announce the general topics before the debate? If you’re a professional politician and you know one of the topics is going to be “Debt and Entitlements”, don’t you have a pretty good idea what’s coming? Did Wallace ask about unladen swallows or something? ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/824 "2016-10-20T16:13:22Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Didn’t everybody have them in advance, kinda? If you know what the subjects are, you pretty much already know what Il Douche is going to say, don’t you? Like when the prof says what’s going to be on the final? Somewhere today I was reading that even Trump knows he’s lost and doesn’t care any more. Just getting his based more and more upset seems to be his only goal now. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/825 "2016-10-20T16:15:09Z")
IIRC, Chris Matthews, er, Wallace mentioned in his opening remarks that both campaigns were not given the questions in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/826 "2016-10-20T16:16:37Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > I didn’t have the emotional strength to watch the debate. Were any questions surprising at all? Didn’t Wallace announce the general topics before the debate? If you’re a professional politician and you know one of the topics is going to be “Debt and Entitlements”, don’t you have a pretty good idea what’s coming? Did Wallace ask about unladen swallows or something? Off the top of my head: Foreign Policy, Immigration, Economy, National Debt, Abortion/Women’s Rights, and each candidate’s respective scandals… so, this debate was clearly biased against Trump. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/827 "2016-10-20T16:20:44Z")
> [@tim-n-va](#): > > Trump surrogates were citing the Bush-Gore 2000 election as a reason for Trump not to say he’d respect the results. > > On election night, the networks called Florida for Bush, Gore called Bush and conceded, the networks changed their prediction, Gore called Bush and withdrew his concession. > > 1. If Gore had not withdrawn his concession AND the results were certified for Gore, would the concession have been binding? > > 2. After the votes were certified, if Gore had not conceded but the process had gone on with the electoral college and then the senate certifying the results, would it have mattered that he didn’t concede? Assume that he didn’t pursue any other legal remedies but just said “I think I won”. > > Or more concisely, other than a nice tradition, does it matter if someone concedes? I don’t think concessions are legally binding. I do have one question- suppose Trump gets whomped but refuses to concede. Would the Secret Service keep protecting him or would they be told to abandon him? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/828 "2016-10-20T16:21:32Z")
> [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](#): > > Trump is now apparently arguing that [Chris Wallace gave Clinton the debate questions in advance](http://www.politicususa.com/2016/10/20/trump-claims-fox-newss-chris-wallace-rigged-debate-hillary-clinton.html). What a weird article. It’s claiming that Trump didn’t shake Wallace’s hand - he absolutely did, and spent quite a bit talking to him afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/829 "2016-10-20T16:25:04Z")
The famous case of _Black Knight v. Arthur Rex_. The plaintiff refused to concede, but his lawyers advised against bringing the case to court. Because, legally, he hadn’t a leg to stand on. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/830 "2016-10-20T16:25:43Z")
I’ve seen a lot of reports that he hung back and stood at the podium while Hillary shook hands with Wallace. Perhaps Trump waited until Hillary was done with her thing before he approached Wallace, and most people don’t know this because they weren’t watching beyond that point. You would think a news organization would know that, though. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/831 "2016-10-20T16:27:26Z")
Gun rights, abortion, immigration, Russian espionage and Wikileaks, how do your plans grow the economy and create jobs, Obamacare, Trump groping and HRC defending WJC, Clinton Foundation, rigged election and accepting the results, Iraq, ISIS, Syria, the national debt, a grand bargain on entitlements, and why you as the next president. All great surprises to be asked. ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/832 "2016-10-20T16:27:29Z")
> [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](#): > > Trump is now apparently arguing that [Chris Wallace gave Clinton the debate questions in advance](http://www.politicususa.com/2016/10/20/trump-claims-fox-newss-chris-wallace-rigged-debate-hillary-clinton.html). Strange idea I saw elsewhere - he’s deliberately not saying which debate or questions (despite last night be the obvious one), so he can say he’s talking about the primary debate with Sanders. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/833 "2016-10-20T16:30:00Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > What a weird article. It’s claiming that Trump didn’t shake Wallace’s hand - he absolutely did, and spent quite a bit talking to him afterwards. Tweets Trump: “Why didn’t Hillary Clinton announce that she was inappropriately given the debate questions - she secretly used them! Crooked Hillary.” Shouldn’t that be “Crooked Chris”? ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/834 "2016-10-20T16:30:11Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I’ve seen a lot of reports that he hung back and stood at the podium while Hillary shook hands with Wallace. Perhaps Trump waited until Hillary was done with her thing before he approached Wallace, and most people don’t know this because they weren’t watching beyond that point. > > You would think a news organization would know that, though. I didn’t see him shake Wallace’s hand, although I could have simply missed it. I saw Trump huddled on the stage with his peeps, and then seemingly bolting while Hillary shook Wallace’s hand, hung around taking selfies and working the crowd. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/835 "2016-10-20T16:32:10Z")
Picture of Trump Wallace handshake [here.](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3854166/Moderator-Chris-Wallace-hailed-hero-presidential-debates-shutting-Trump-one-liners-shushing-jeering-audience.html) ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/836 "2016-10-20T16:34:56Z")
Conceding is a formality. A very important one, for reasons explained for the last several months. Legally, I don’t think it means anything. Conceding doesn’t prevent you from later contesting. Not conceding doesn’t prevent the results from being certified or the winner from taking office. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/837 "2016-10-20T16:37:08Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > I’ve seen a lot of reports that he hung back and stood at the podium while Hillary shook hands with Wallace. Perhaps Trump waited until Hillary was done with her thing before he approached Wallace, and most people don’t know this because they weren’t watching beyond that point. > > You would think a news organization would know that, though. News organizations probably do but that wouldn’t include Politicususa. ---
**Author:** ![Ambrosio\_Spinola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de0a6/32.png) [@Ambrosio\_Spinola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambrosio_Spinola)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/838 "2016-10-20T16:39:19Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > News organizations probably do but that wouldn’t include Politicususa. That actually does to be sort of a crap source, so I apologize for linking to it. Trump did make that tweet about Clinton getting the debate questions, so I’m not sure what the hell he is trying to say. If he even knows, since he also claims that he won this debate, just like the other two. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/839 "2016-10-20T16:39:57Z")
> [@ThisIsTheEnd](#): > > Conceding is a formality. A very important one, for reasons explained for the last several months. > > Legally, I don’t think it means anything. > > Conceding doesn’t prevent you from later contesting. > > Not conceding doesn’t prevent the results from being certified or the winner from taking office. My only concern with him not conceding is how much it riles up his base and in what form is that riling ultimately expressed. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995/840 "2016-10-20T16:41:11Z")
Legally, conceding doesn’t do anything. It’s an act of politics to make clear to the people (especially your supporters) that you recognize the results and will stand aside. In 2000, the votes were already cast and – as we all now know – they were actually cast for Electors, not actually for Gore. So regardless of what Gore says in November, the electors would still convene and cast their ballots for Gore in December and he would be president assuming he doesn’t outright refuse to serve. But Gore’s concession in November doesn’t invalidate the selection of the electors or their ability to cast their ballots in the electoral college. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995.md?page=41) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/official-third-debate-10-19-16-thread/768995.md?page=43)