# The Clinton - Trump Debates: how will this go down? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 21, 2016, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-clinton-trump-debates-how-will-this-go-down/760499 "2016-07-21T15:59:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Hellestal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ab097/32.png) [@Hellestal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hellestal)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-clinton-trump-debates-how-will-this-go-down/760499/81 "2016-07-26T21:09:54Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > **RickJay** , I’ll admit I have come close to blocking you a few times recently. Your constant posting that Trump is going to win drives me bonkers. Can you cite a single instance where **RickJay** has stated that Trump is going to win? ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-clinton-trump-debates-how-will-this-go-down/760499/82 "2016-07-26T21:13:21Z")
> [@Lantern](#): > > Trump may do OK in the debates but I think he has three things going against him. > > First of all he has little experience with two-person debates and the format will strain his limited attention span and intellectual stamina. I suspect he will flag towards the end. > > Secondly the debates will probably have fair amount of policy substance and Trump will likely make errors which will dog him much like his NATO comments have over the last few days. > > Third, much of the impact of a debate happens through the later media commentary and Trump will be handicapped by the fact that many prominent conservative commentators dislike him. > > Ultimately I think Trump works best in small doses. I don’t think his convention speech was very effective; his style of red-faced bellowing didn’t wear well in a speech that went well over an hour. He will have a similar problem in a one-on-one debate. I agree with all of this, and I would add that Trump doesn’t have a lot of experience with people disagreeing with him – about anything. I’ve had the misfortune to watch most of his rallies, and his speeches are all exactly the same. He comes out, admires the size of the crowd, proceeds to recite a few figures regarding the number of voters he’s gotten, how many primaries he’s won, who lost to his wonderfulness. Bag on Hillary, call everyone a few names… if you heard one rally speech, you heard them all. Virtually no substance. The Wall. How great he is. How everyone will love everything when he’s president. Believe me. He has no attention span, no ability to retain many facts or figures, no discipline and is generally ignorant of policy, both foreign and domestic. He doesn’t understand the Constitution or how government works. He doesn’t care. If he actually shows up at the scheduled debates, I expect him to say all the same things he says at his rallies. Hillary, who has a tremendous command of wonky information and understands the nuances of governance, will mop the floor with him. I also expect her to gently needle him with references such as she made about the Chapter 11s in his books. He won’t be able to resist trying to come back at her in his typical ham-handed fashion. Should be great. I look forward to it immensely. ---
**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:** [July 26, 2016, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-clinton-trump-debates-how-will-this-go-down/760499/83 "2016-07-26T21:37:06Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > In the US, certain places are full of these people. I live in Atlanta now, and even in a metro area as diverse as this, it is still present, just slightly more under the surface. I have a co-worker who has a confederate flag hanging inside his workshop at home. Not so brave as to fly it on the front of his house, but it’s there, under the surface. > > And that’s a key point. Not brave enough to be outwardly racist, but it’s there, under cover. Trump encourages this. It’s who he is. It’s why he is dangerous. > > **RickJay** , I’ll admit I have come close to blocking you a few times recently. Your constant posting that Trump is going to win drives me bonkers. I kinda feel like you are doing it somewhat to say “Wake up Americans, do something about it!!!” But, you see, we know. We are worried too. But the racist hatred still runs deep in this country, and Trump is the perfect person to stoke it, and I’m not sure what Hilary could be doing that she is not. > > Eventually, we have to get the people out to vote. Simple as that. We aren’t converting any of the Trumpsters, they are who they are. And they are what they are. > > I’m not saying all Trump supporters are racists. But I think the overwhelming number of racists are Trump supporters. If you are not a racist, but you are a Trump supporter, I don’t know how you can look past the man’s despicable racism to find any good in his other policies. And how many of these closet racists were voting Democrat in 2012? How many of them did not vote R in 2012 but will do so in 2016? Yes, there are racists. But I counter that most people that you are speaking of _already voted Republican_ - having lived in Atlanta most of my life, I can damn-near-guarantee that, if old enough, the confederate flag in the workshop guy voted Bush-Bush-McCain-Romney. So for this election, “racists who already voted Republican” really don’t matter - it’s not that base that has to come out for Trump for Trump to win. The demographic that people are scared is going to give Trump the election seems to be “Racist assholes who didn’t vote R against Obama in 2008 and 2012 but are now somehow inspired to vote R for Trump in 2016.” I don’t know how many of those people are out there and I think they are being wildly overestimated in terms of their numbers and influence. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-clinton-trump-debates-how-will-this-go-down/760499/84 "2016-07-26T21:44:41Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > And how many of these closet racists were voting Democrat in 2012? How many of them did not vote R in 2012 but will do so in 2016? > > Yes, there are racists. But I counter that most people that you are speaking of _already voted Republican_ - having lived in Atlanta most of my life, I can damn-near-guarantee that, if old enough, the confederate flag in the workshop guy voted Bush-Bush-McCain-Romney. > > So for this election, “racists who already voted Republican” really don’t matter - it’s not that base that has to come out for Trump for Trump to win. > > The demographic that people are scared is going to give Trump the election seems to be “Racist assholes who didn’t vote R against Obama in 2008 and 2012 but are now somehow inspired to vote R for Trump in 2016.” > > I don’t know how many of those people are out there and I think they are being wildly overestimated in terms of their numbers and influence. Eh, probably some truth in that. But here is the part that worries me. Confederate flag workshop guy? Never gave a shit enough to register to vote. This year he has registered and already voted for Trump in the primary. He will vote in his first presidential election this year. For Trump. The dude is over 40 years old. ---
**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:** [July 26, 2016, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-clinton-trump-debates-how-will-this-go-down/760499/85 "2016-07-26T21:48:30Z")
Every election has people who come out of the woodwork. Just ask Bernie Sanders. Just ask the people inspired to register to vote against Trump. It’s not all one-way and the processes that inspire your enemies also inspire your allies. Best thing you can do? Take off work election day and drive people to the polls. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-clinton-trump-debates-how-will-this-go-down/760499/86 "2016-07-26T22:37:59Z")
> [@Hellestal](#): > > Can you cite a single instance where **RickJay** has stated that Trump is going to win? You know what, that’s a fair challenge. In retrospect, I don’t know that **RickJay** ever explicitly said that Trump was going to win. Badly stated on my part. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-clinton-trump-debates-how-will-this-go-down/760499.md?page=4)