The first of three presidential debates was tonight. Here are a few brief thoughts on the candidates’ performances.
The Opener
If there are undecided voters who really formed their first opinions of the candidates tonight, the opening minutes were crucial. Let’s take a look at the opening themes.
Hillary Clinton tried to portray herself as a unifier. “I want us to invest in you,” Clinton said. “I want us to invest in your future.” It was the kind of messaging that few would oppose, albeit somewhat vague. The only nonunifying part? Saying the wealthy and corporations need to pay their fair share. But since few Americans view themselves as “wealthy,” it doesn’t seem likely Clinton lost many votes there.
Donald Trump’s opening was more confrontational and divisive. From the start, he was making enemies. “Our jobs are fleeing the country,” Trump said. “They’re going to Mexico.” China, too, is hurting the country, Trump said. That approach might work for some voters. Generally, it hasn’t worked in past campaigns, but it’s worked for Trump so far. In 2016, who knows?
Communication Styles
Trump rambles. It’s hard to follow what he’s saying. He says Mexico is taking our jobs, and before you can fully grasp his argument he’s saying something about China.
Trump also shouts. Want to be shouted at by your president for four to eight years? Vote for Trump.
Clinton speaks in bullet points. She pauses so you can catch up to what she’s saying. Yes, she also has a tendency to go through laundry lists of causes, like this sentence: “That starts with raising the national minimum wage and also guarantee, finally, equal pay for women’s work.” But speaking slower allows people to process that more easily.
Policies
Both candidates highlighted policies that most Americans agree with.
Clinton talked about raising the minimum wage and debt-free college, among other topics.
According to Rasmussen, 74 percent of Americans do want to raise the national minimum wage, but only 12 percent want to raise it to the $15 level that Clinton proposes.
On debt-free college, Gallup finds that 47 percent of Americans support making tuition free at all public colleges in the country, while 45 percent oppose it.
Trump’s opening answer focused almost entirely on jobs leaving the country. For most voters, that’s a free trade issue.
Surprisingly, even though both candidates seem to oppose free trade, voters seem to like it. In a July NBC poll, 55 percent of Americans said “free trade with foreign countries is good for America.” An April Gallup poll found that 58 percent of Americans viewed foreign trade as an opportunity for economic growth, not a threat.
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
