# What would the Trump-Clinton debates be like? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 11, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835 "2016-02-11T17:37:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/1 "2016-02-11T17:37:30Z")
Spinoff from [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=783729). While Sanders is now something of a possibility, it still seems far more likely Clinton will be the Dem nominee for POTUS. Meanwhile, Trump is still leading the Pub pack. Assuming that lineup, how will the debates between them go? Once again, Trump is an outsider who does not even speak the same language as professional pols like Clinton – will they have anything to say to each other? Will they just talk past each other? Will either be able to meaningfully engage with anything the other says? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/2 "2016-02-11T17:40:05Z")
I think Clinton would take her Bengazi-hearing-demeanor to the debate. Sit back and look amused at Trump’s statements and then try to gut him. I think she’d be far less aggressive than she would be with Rubio - more adopting a “can you believe this shit” type of stance. Trump would be Trump (that won’t change regardless of who he’s going up against). ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/3 "2016-02-11T18:15:33Z")
She’ll gut him like a fish. He’s too hot headed to keep his composure against someone with her skills. I despise them and hope they both lose, but as a betting man, I’d go with Hillary in a debate over Trump. ---
**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:** [February 11, 2016, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/4 "2016-02-11T18:32:18Z")
I described it in an earlier thread: > [@Why I would vote for Trump](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-i-would-vote-for-trump/744398/5): > > C: “Donald, I seem to recall at my last birthday party you mentioned LIKING Mexicans” > T:“Mexican food! You were serving fajitas!” > C:“That’s not how I recall it” > T:“Ok, maybe Salma Hayek was part of the conversation as well” > C:“Oh yeah, that was it. Her dad was Lebanese, you know” > T:“No kidding? Didn’t know that” > C:“That was a fun party though” > T:“Yeah, thanks for the invite” > Moderator:“Excuse me candidates, if we can get back on track. The question was about the federal minimum wage…” ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/5 "2016-02-11T19:13:04Z")
He’ll become his usual radical self, interrupting questions and responses, probably walk out early in a huff earning a standing ovation from the widgets who support him. Questions about his Mexican-paid wall, keeping out Muslims, brining back torture, then asking how he’ll handle foreign policy-- that’ll be enough to enrage him, because he’s not a politician. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/6 "2016-02-11T20:20:25Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > I think Clinton would take her Bengazi-hearing-demeanor to the debate. Sit back and look amused at Trump’s statements and then try to gut him. I think she’d be far less aggressive than she would be with Rubio - more adopting a “can you believe this shit” type of stance. > > Trump would be Trump (that won’t change regardless of who he’s going up against). If I were coaching Hillary, this would definitely be the strategy I’d recommend. Except don’t worry about even trying to gut him. Just let him do his thing and avoid going on the attack. A Donald Trump who feels threatened is more dangerous than when he can be his complacent self. And am I the only one who thinks maybe Trump really does have some kind of dirt on Hillary? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/7 "2016-02-11T20:27:28Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > And am I the only one who thinks maybe Trump really does have some kind of dirt on Hillary? Why would he have what the FBI doesn’t? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/8 "2016-02-11T20:27:58Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > And am I the only one who thinks maybe Trump really does have some kind of dirt on Hillary? What, like an _“I know she can be bribed, because I kept the receipts”_ thing? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/9 "2016-02-11T20:48:19Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > What, like an _“I know she can be bribed, because I kept the receipts”_ thing? But, has Trump ever been involved in a business that would have any need to bribe a Secretary of State? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/10 "2016-02-11T20:55:55Z")
I’m kidding around, but, still: you remember what she did _before_ that, right? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/11 "2016-02-11T21:14:00Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > I’m kidding around, but, still: you remember what she did _before_ that, right? Hmm . . . perhaps a NYC real-estate developer **might** have some occasion to bribe a U.S. Senator . . . ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/12 "2016-02-11T21:20:50Z")
I’m much more interested in a Sanders/Trump debate. . . but, not likely. Trump will stumble through, and it won’t amount to much. They’ll trade barbs about Wall Street and Benghazi, etc, etc. And all this about Trump in a huff, and Trump getting angry. . . that never really happens. It’s all stuff you guys have imagined about him. He rarely raises his voice or displays any real uncontrolled anger. He’ll mug and make faces and dismissive gestures. As will Clinton. He might call her a “liar” which would be unheard of in a presidential debate. But, I doubt it will hurt him. That might even energize his base. It’ll be a push. Like most of the presidential debates, it won’t change anyone’s mind. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/13 "2016-02-11T21:27:56Z")
Indeed, I don’t think a debate has really had much effect on any election save Reagan-Carter in 1980. The Trump possibility, though, does introduce the wild card of a person who absolutely does not give a shit about decorum, political capital or common decency. The possibility of something really remarkable happening is significantly higher with Trump than without him. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/14 "2016-02-11T21:35:43Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Indeed, I don’t think a debate has really had much effect on any election save Reagan-Carter in 1980. Or maybe Kennedy-Nixon in 1960. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/15 "2016-02-11T21:37:08Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > The Trump possibility, though, does introduce the wild card of a person who absolutely does not give a shit about decorum, political capital or common decency. The possibility of something really remarkable happening is significantly higher with Trump than without him. At least a lot of viewers will tune in. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/16 "2016-02-11T22:08:33Z")
Trump’s most effective attack will be the same as the one he’s used against the rest of the GOP field: Hillary is bought and paid for, he isn’t. She hasn’t had any good response to this when Sanders brings it up. She retreats to Scalia logic (money doesn’t corrupt politics) or non-sequiturs about 9/11. He can’t wait to use the angle of Hillary attacking Bill’s sexual abuse victims to tear down her feminist cred, though I don’t know if it’ll be effective. He’ll castigate her for letting American foreign policy go to hell in a handbasket. Lots of Muslim scaremongering. This is America, so it’ll probably work. Hillary will play the we killed Osama card. They’ll try to outhawk each other. Healthcare will be awkward since he might attack her from the left, but his own position is so nonsensical he might look ridiculous if he ever has to explain what he means by his “terrific” plan that insures everyone but is free enterprise. One thing I’d be curious to see is the gender dynamic. Will people be more impressed by Trump’s baboon alpha male body language, or will they be sympathetic towards Hillary because she’s being attacked so much? Will they hate her if she attacks him relentlessly? Or be impressed because she’s an iron lady ball breaker? I disagree with her not attacking, unless she wants to end up like Kerry. It’ll be funny if they play the video of him praising her from a couple years ago. > [@tullsterx](#): > > He might call her a “liar” which would be unheard of in a presidential debate. But, I doubt it will hurt him. That might even energize his base. I’d agree if you replaced “liar” with “bitch.” > [@Oakminster](#): > > He’s too hot headed to keep his composure against someone with her skills. What skills are those? I don’t recall Hillary being a particularly impressive debater. Not against Obama, not against Bernie. Meanwhile, Trump is wrecking people left and right. In an alternate universe somewhere Jeb is the GOP front runner right now. What will make it fun though is that Hillary is ornery and doesn’t take a lot of BS, whereas Trump is a never ending river of BS. I really hope this happens. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/17 "2016-02-11T22:13:45Z")
I see them each playing to their strengths. And when it’s over the Trump supporters who didn’t understand or agree with a thing Hillary said will be utterly convinced Trump mopped the floor with Hillary. Meantime the folks on the other side will insist Trump just buffooned another TV show instead of debating. And as such he lost comprehensively. And they’ll both be right. This will be just like happens in boxing so often where you watch the whole match carefully and discover the judges were watching a totally different fight than you did. Or at least their scorecards reflect that. > [@BrainGlutton](#): > > At least a lot of viewers will tune in. This. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/18 "2016-02-12T14:11:58Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Hmm . . . perhaps a NYC real-estate developer **might** have some occasion to bribe a U.S. Senator . . . We know Trump and Don Jr. made big donations to Hillary’s campaigns and to the Clinton Foundation. Trump has said all along politicians can be bought. So far, both he and Hillary are saying all she ever did for him was show up at his wedding. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/19 "2016-02-12T16:58:06Z")
Presidential debates usually come in threes right? I fear a possible repeat of debate 1 between Obama and Romney. Obama, and most of the country, was completely gobsmacked when Romney veered so far back to the center in the general that he lapped Obama to the left. You could tell Obama was ready to talk about self deportation, the 47%, tax cuts for millionaires, but Romney, in a fit of insanity or genius, simply agreed with all of Obama’s liberal positions and owned it as if he was the one talking about income inequality and helping the poor. Obama lost that debate, but was able to make up for it in the next two. Trump is TV smart, he knows how to play to the cameras, and he knows what will work on TV. Plus he knows his audience. I predict he’ll get some shots at Clinton but always walk that back, like he did with Carly Fiorina when she called him out on complaining about her ugly face. He’ll say something insane and before Clinton can respond, he’ll say something like “but really, I love black people, and they love me. I know a lot of black people, they aren’t aggressive troglodytes that deserve to be locked up, but some of them are, so you gotta lock up the dangerous ones. And Hillary, your plan is great, but mine’s better” ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2016, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835/20 "2016-02-12T17:03:40Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > She’ll gut him like a fish. He’s too hot headed to keep his composure against someone with her skills. > > I despise them and hope they both lose, but as a betting man, I’d go with Hillary in a debate over Trump. As a debate, Hillary would certainly win. But Trump wouldn’t lose his composure - he doesn’t have any to lose. He would mug for the cameras and never mention any specifics. His supporters would love it. Hopefully anyone tuning in to learn something about the candidates and the issues would learn that he is a circus clown and has not given the issues much thought, and that Hillary is a policy wonk and has given way too much thought to the issues and has a sixty three point plan to deal with everything except e-mail. It would be interesting if they compare rags-to-riches stories - Trump could tell the inspiring story of how he inherited a million dollars, and clawed his way back from bankruptcy, and Hillary could tell how she recovered from being married to a lying scumbag by grit, hard work, and multi-million dollar donations from the Saudis and $750,000 speeches to Wall Street. Regards, Shodan [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-the-trump-clinton-debates-be-like/745835.md?page=2)