TRUMP: Make America Great Again

Donald Trump’s performance at the three presidential debates was a topic of contention. While many were impressed by Trump’s ability to answer the questions at hand and stay on message, the grand majority of polls named Clinton the winner.

In the first debate, Trump surprised many with his initially calm behavior. Trump referred to Clinton as “Secretary Clinton,” showing a more civil demeanor than he took on during the primary election debates. In Trump’s opening remarks, when asked about job creation, he delivered an on-topic statement about outsourcing of jobs and foreign goods. “Our jobs are fleeing the country,” he gravely announced. “They’re going to Mexico; they’re going to many other countries…” The candidate continued to condemn the globalization of the economy in a calm and calculated manner, even acknowledging at one point that he agrees with Secretary Clinton on the topic of child care. “As far as child care is concerned, and so many other things, I think Hillary and I agree on that,” Trump conceded. “We probably disagree a little bit as to numbers and amounts…” Trump’s composed start to this first debate certainly garnered him respect from a number of viewers.

However, as the debate continued, the arguments became more heated. Trump went on to fervently criticize the Obama administration for its economic and foreign policy, which was concerning to voters who were already questioning his temperament. Still, other voters construed his passionate arguments as a positive characteristic of a candidate who sticks strongly to his convictions.

The second debate had a vastly different atmosphere from the first one, in part because it was a Town Hall forum. In such a debate style, undecided voters are given the opportunity to directly ask questions of the candidates. After a week of disputes between the Clinton and Trump campaigns and the release of an unflattering tape of Trump, tensions were certainly high. In fact, the candidates did not even shake hands until after the debate was over. Thus, it was unsurprising that Trump was not as cautious about keeping calm as he was in the prior debate.
The candidate began with an opening statement much different from his previous one. Instead of beginning by simply stating the issues, Trump focused on the failures of the Obama administration, namely Obamacare and the situation in the Middle East. “I look at the Iran Deal and how bad a deal it is for us; it’s a one-sided trade transaction,” the candidate lamented before beginning to state his own policies. When Trump did summarize his platform, he emphasized trade, like before, but also mentioned border security far more than he had in the previous debate. Trump’s return to focusing on his most proverbial position was a comfort to many of his supporters, reassuring them that he wasn’t backing away from his “build the wall” platform.

In the third debate, both candidates focused more on personal attacks than expected and spent relatively little time discussing their plans for the government. Trump fielded accusations of using charitable donations for dishonest purposes and using illegal immigrant steelworkers to build Trump Towers. In turn, he criticized NAFTA and NATO, arguing that the Obama administration, and namely Secretary Clinton, had handled trade deals and treaty-making poorly. Trump also received criticism for referring to his opponent as a “nasty woman,” a far cry from the careful and respectful ways in which he had addressed Secretary Clinton during the first debate.
Overall, Trump began his presidential debate performance in a calm and calculated manner that was a pleasant surprise to many viewers. However, as each debate wore on, his arguments became more heated and less respectful of his opponent. Although Trump did manage to stay on message far more than during the primary debates, most experts have declared Clinton the winner of all three general election debates. Still, Trump introduced several arguments about trade deals, taxes, and national security that appealed to a number of viewers and could help him on Election Day.

CLINTON: Stronger Together

For Hillary Clinton, the first 2016 presidential debate was a historical moment. The night of September 26 represented the first time a woman has ever taken the stage as the nominee of a major party in American history. According to the overwhelming majority of analysts, not only was Clinton the first woman to engage in this contest, but she was also the clear winner.

Hillary began the evening laying out her policy goals. She explained, “The central question in this election is really what kind of country we want to be and what kind of future we’ll build together. Today is my granddaughter’s second birthday, so I think about this a lot.” This reference to her family may have endeared Clinton to those who have previously labeled her as mechanical and closed.

She then went on to detail the need for a more inclusive economy, innovative renewable energy, an increase in the minimum wage, profit sharing, paid family leave, and debt-free college. Clinton’s strategy to achieve this includes raising taxes on the wealthy. In regards to the ever present issue of trade deals in this election, Clinton argued, “We are 5% of the world’s population; we have to trade with the other 95%. And we need to have smart, fair trade deals.”

In reacting against Trump, Clinton aimed for his upbringing, “He started his business with $14 million, borrowed from his father, and he really believes that the more you help wealthy people, the better off we’ll be and that everything will work out from there. I don’t buy that.” Clinton further attacked Trump’s stance on climate change, his temperament, and his lack of a plan for defeating ISIS.
The most memorable moment of the evening centered on Trump’s tax returns. Clinton attacked him by saying, “They showed he didn’t pay any federal income tax. That means zero for troops, zero for vets, zero for schools or health.”

The second debate was conducted in a town hall style. This allowed both candidates to communicate directly with voters. The first audience member asked each candidate whether they believed they had modeled appropriate behavior to America’s children. Hillary Clinton responded by saying, “I want to be the president for all Americans, regardless of your political beliefs, where you come from, what you look like, your religion. I want us to heal our country and bring it together because, I think, that’s the best way for us to get the future that our children and our grandchildren deserve.”

Regarding the audio of Trump discussing sexual assault in a callous manner, Clinton had this to say. “You know, with prior Republican nominees for president, I disagreed with them on politics, policies, principles, but I never questioned their fitness to serve. Donald Trump is different.”

Clinton came out in support of accepting more refugees. She stated, “I will not let anyone into our country that I think poses a risk to us. But there are a lot of refugees, women and children.”

Old issues continued to emerge in the second debate. The issue of emails, tax returns, and each candidate’s stance on the Iraq war continued to play a significant role in the conversation.

The third debate began on the topic of the Supreme Court. Clinton’s primary argument was that, “the Supreme Court needs to stand on the side of the American people. For me, that means that we need a Supreme Court that will stand up on behalf of women’s rights, on behalf of the rights of the LGBT community, that will stand up and say no to Citizens United.” She also gave a balanced answer in regards to the second amendment, confirming that she respects its constitutionality without allowing it to overshadow the need to protect Americans from gun violence.
In regards to the Russian hacking, Clinton told the audience that Putin may be supporting Trump because, “he would rather have a puppet as president of the United States.”

One of Hillary’s stand out moments was her ringing defense of a woman’s right to choose. Another was her defense of the rights of immigrants which culminated in Clinton accusing Trump of hiring undocumented immigrants at unfair wages to build his tower.

If you, the students of NDP, are eager to voice your opinions this election, The Gateway urges those of you who are of age to vote this November. For the rest of you, we can all eagerly anticipate the results of the vote taken in homeroom through the Youth Leadership Initiative.