How Do You Rate the 3rd Debate?

[Atheon]

So? What'cha think?

Again, I saw a calm, collected leader speaking facts, while a blustering, interrupting jackass was throwing out the same tired old Republican BS talking points about conspiracies and Hillary's supposed culpability for things she's not even remotely connected to.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

For the red meat crowd he probably knocked it out of the park, but red meat crowds don't elect presidents. He seemed to be holding it together at first, but the question about accepting the outcome and not committing, not once, but twice ruined him. It only went down from there.
Clinton held it together well I thought.

Clinton will be the next POTUS, no doubt about that now. Trumpster fire saw to it.

He didn't do a damn thing to expand his base of potential voters while Clinton went directly for women who might have been undecided or leaning toward Trump, especially suburban white women.

[GSOgymrat]

Yikes.

[Baruch]

Early result ...

Hillary ... greatest jobs program since WW II ... ahem ... that would be WW III, right?

Hillary supporter, outside of debate ... privatize Social Security, by handing it to Wall Street, just like George W proposed

Other observers ... Hillary SCOTUS ... not about abortion, about solidifying Citizens United even further

Trump ... will drop business regulations, business taxes, personal taxes ... not happening, his owners won't let that happen.  Certain business interests wanted those in the first place, and they are still out there

[SGOS]

Hillary was what you would expect.  Trump, you never know what to expect.  Trump started out fairly rational, but was unable to hold onto that to the end.  Although even at his worst last night, he seemed more in control than in the other debates.  I don't know if this was good for him or not.  A restrained demeanor is not what he won he primaries with.  I know you are supposed to become more moderate during the general campaign, but how does that sit with the people that put you there?  He seems like a candidate for a niche group, a fairly large niche group, but not a majority. 

Conservatism took an odd turn in the 70s, and began to focus on the underpinnings of the ideology less, but more on appealing to the emotional aspects of human nature.  It worked hard to foster an "us vs them" gulf between ordinarily loyal oppositions.  I think this was a highly effective strategy in gaining loyal support for the Republican Party.  Cheer leaders like Rush Limbaugh and FOX news helped shape the strategy, and Trump seems like an expected outcome, not devoted to the one time conservative ideology, but good at appearing bitter and vicious.  Perhaps a bit over the top, but not by all that much.

I didn't go to bed sickened and disgusted like I did after the second debate.  I don't know who won or lost.  I have a feeling Trump lost some support overall, even with his somewhat restrained control.   

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I don't know who won or lost.

Come now SGOS, YOU DON'T KNOW who won or lost?  Really?  Trump couldn't dig himself out from under his conspiracy theory bullshit when given two distinct opportunities and you don't know who won or lost? I know you're smarter than that, but to even remotely suggest that Trumpster Fire may have won is at best absurd. The guy superglued himself inside his own presidential aspiration coffin with his "I'll keep you in suspense." bullshit.. There's absolutely no question who won the debate.

[GSOgymrat]

A presidential candidate stating elections are fixed before the election has taken place seems like a dubious strategy, especially regarding the Right. There is a fine line between saying the government is corrupt and bashing America-- just ask the Dixie Chicks. Has anyone asked Trump since he knew the elections were fixed why he bothered to invest such time, money and energy running for president?

[Hydra009]

Compared to the theatrics of the earlier debates, this was a relatively civil and rationale debate.  Maybe Trump's manager promised him a glass of chocolate milk after the debate if he put on his best good boy behavior.  Still lots of interruptions and "wrong" interjections, so he might only get half a glass.

The debate was basically a retread of their earlier disagreements - gun regulation, abortion, supreme court, Iraq, etc interspersed with scandal airing.

Trump is came across like a buffoon, but he always comes across like a buffoon.  He first constructs the reality of the situation (Syrian refugees as a trojan horse for Islamists), loudly declares that he won't stand for it, and is a little fuzzy on the details of dealing with it.  Clinton at least is more knowledgeable and more grounded in reality and comes up with an actual plans for dealing with problems.

Once again, my choice is more or less made for me.  Trump promotes an agenda that is far to the right of what I want, and would stack the courts with Religious Right nutbars.  I have no choice but to oppose him by supporting Clinton.

[SGOS]

Come now SGOS, YOU DON'T KNOW who won or lost?  Really? 

Well, let me hedge, then.  I tend to be very cynical about voters.  And let me really hedge.  Trump gets special consideration when it comes to my evaluation.  If he doesn't fuck up as bad as he usually does, I consider it a win.  If he picks up 15 voters, instead of losing 15000, I give him a win.  It's like a runner timing himself at the halfway point and being delighted at having a personal best regardless of the fact that he's in last place.

[SGOS]

A presidential candidate stating elections are fixed before the election has taken place seems like a dubious strategy,

This perplexes me also.  It is odd.  Oh, I'd bet dollars to donuts that fraud exists in every election.  I hope that it's at a low level, and doesn't effect the outcome.  But with a million or so polling places around the country, I can't believe that somebody somewhere isn't trying to set a fix.

But this idea that Trump has some special insight that others don't makes it sound like he has channeling powers or something.  Well, maybe not channeling powers exactly, but no one but Trump and an unknown quantity of unknown sources close to Trump seems to be aware of it.  However, I do expect that a rigged election will become an article of faith among the loyalists.

[widdershins]

I was disappointed at first, but Trump eventually started shrieking and throwing his own shit as expected.  Seriously, though, in all 3 debates I think Hillary did a lot more damage by just breaking out in laughter when Trump said something seriously wrong instead of interrupting, like he couldn't stop doing.  It gives the impression that one of the candidates is amused by how stupid the other is while the other is frantic and unhinged.

[Sal1981]

It's pretty much a done deal now. I can't imagine the trumpster digging himself out of that last hole he dug himself into with the 'suspense' retort.

[Hydra009]

Oh, I'd bet dollars to donuts that fraud exists in every election.

Fraud may be too strong a word for it, but there are definitely some questionable practices going on with our elections.  I'm sure we all remember Florida's hanging chad debacle.  Additionally, there are very suspicious restrictions placed on voters, such as reduced early voting hours and targeting college students with special restrictions.

[Mike Cl]

Oh that Nasty Woman!  If that is not being printed on T-shirts right now by the Dem party, I'd be surprised! 

Has any other candidate ever said they would not accept the outcome of a presidential election????  That could be a statement that may even drive away some of his supporters.  Now, let's see if the GOP 'leadership' makes any remarks about that remark. 

HRC played The Donald like a violin.  His buttons are so easily hit!  It was/is almost not a fair fight!

[SGOS]

One thing I got a kick out of last night is when someone (can't remember if it was Trump or some spin doctor in his camp) said, "Why are all these women coming out of the woodwork right now just three weeks from the election?"  Would there have been a more convenient time for Trump?  Maybe when he wasn't so busy?