This country is ruined. There is no other way to start this, as that was the real topic that was on everyone’s minds watching the second presidential debate last Sunday. Debate etiquette be shot, facts non-existent; the entire debate was a debacle that left everyone watching feeling cheated by our main options for the presidency. My personal bias was towards Hillary Clinton coming into this debate. This is due mainly to her performance in the first presidential debate compared to her opponent Donald Trump. Throughout this debate, subjects such as energy policies and tax reform were discussed, along with hot topics like Trump’s “Grab ‘em by the pussy” and Clinton’s email scandals. The debate itself lasted longer than it was expected to, if not simply because the two minutes allotted for each candidate per question was never enough for either of them. It was in the format of a town-hall debate, in which each candidate would get to answer the question, and rebut against what their opponent had said, without the issue of being interrupted. Of course, only one candidate ever followed the rules of this debate, which then led to him feeling persecuted for being constantly yelled at.
To start off, the debate started spectacularly. In typical Mean Girls style, both candidates chose to give their opponent the “cold shoulder” coming up to their respective sides of the stage. And then, they unceremoniously didn’t shake hands. For those who are wondering, that’s as scandalous in politics as Limp Bizkit covering Behind Blue Eyes was in the music world. Absolutely no respect, whatsoever. Then the debate began in high style, with the first topic being about what had happened at the first debate. In the audience member’s words, “Last presidential debate could’ve been rated MA, mature audiences only… Do you feel you are modeling appropriate and positive behavior for today’s youth?” Having won the coin-toss, Clinton took the question first, and essentially dodged around the question as it obviously wasn’t really intended for her. It then went to Trump, who completely missed the topic entirely, and instead went on a rant about how, in his opinion, the country has worsened over the time that Clinton has been a public servant. Neither truly answered the question, so I’m calling this one a tie.
Then came the first discussion about the recent scandal that has plagued the Trump campaign since last Friday. Known as the “Grab ‘em by the pussy” scandal, it is based from a 2005 video released that shows Donald Trump talking to Billy Bush, after departing a bus. In the video, Trump says things such as “Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything” and “Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.” Obviously something that you don’t want your candidate to have said, though honestly, when I first heard about it, I had more of a laissez-faire attitude towards it. My thinking? Probably something like “Eh, it’s Donald Trump,” which is a scary thought to have about a presidential candidate’s scandal. Moving on, this question was first directed at Trump, who fielded the question by one, denying he did anything wrong; and two, directing blame away from the idea that he was discussing sexual assault, and just calling it “locker room talk.” Now, I’ve been in locker rooms before, many times. A lot of guys who would have the claim to be straight, and I have never heard talking like that before in a locker room. To be perfectly honest, I never thought anyone would ever even have the gall to say something like that, much less say it and expect people to not find out about it. As Trump says in his apology “I am ashamed…” which would make things just a bit better, if he didn’t try to brush off the statement later by going on about how Obama has failed the nation, and how ISIS has caused the world to go back a few eras. After Trump gets done fake-apologizing, Clinton steps up, and rails him on how he is sexist, and how he shouldn’t be capable of being president. For this, if for nothing else than actually staying on topic, Clinton wins.
And so the debate went on, digging up old scandals and issues about Bill Clinton, until the moderators call for the final question. “Regardless of the current rhetoric, would either of you name one positive thing that you respect in one another?” The crowd does a mild clap, which in this tense of an environment basically translates into “That’s a great freaking question.” Trump was offered the question first, but declined. Hillary steps up to the plate, and in the typical fashion of the debate so far, does her best to knock Trump down. As she put it, the only thing respectable about Trump are his kids. I personally disagree that his kids are respectable, but that’s for another time. Trump then fields the question, and turns the other cheek. He takes Clinton’s attack on his character, and turns it into a compliment. He then says something that almost makes me respect Trump. He says, “She doesn’t quit. She doesn’t give up.” The thing he finds the most respectable about Clinton is her determination. And that is why Trump won the final topic of the debate.
The debate is over. People are already gearing up for the third presidential debate on Wednesday, Oct. 19. While some people are steadfast in their ways and who they’ll vote for, I will remain neutral. While I dislike Trump for his lies and outright bigotry, I also dislike Clinton for her lies and her numerous scandals through the years. As for the second presidential debate, I think the winner was obvious. No one won. No candidate, and certainly not America.
