From The Ramparts

                                                 

                                                 

                                                Junious Ricardo Stanton

                                                It Doesn't Look Good

            The pundits say the presidential debate was the most watched debate in US history. Wow. I watched the first presidential debate Monday evening and I must say, it doesn't look good for this country. What I saw alarmed me but the after show analysis was even more disturbing. It appeared as if Donald Trump was totally unprepared that he merely repeated his primary stump speech when he was on the attack and he bumbled badly when the moderator Lester Holt and Hillary Clinton made comments that put him on the defensive. As a supposed counter-puncher Trump misfired when he was on the ropes to use a boxing analogy. He came out swinging and landed some good points early on when he talked about trade and the failing US economy but wasn't able to sustain the momentum for the full ninety minutes.

            Clinton on the other hand, was on her game as a world class liar and politician. She called up all the progressive feel good stuff she knows neither she nor Congress will ever pass like: free college tuition, paid maternity leave, equal pay for women and other such fantasies. Unlike with Trump, the moderator never fact checked or challenged anything Clinton said nor asked her any tough questions that called her character into question like he did Trump. Clinton skated through without taking any serious shots. When the final bell sounded Clinton's body language indicated she thought she won.

            The corporate mind control apparatus spun the debate as a decisive win for Clinton, claiming she won on points, poise and looking "presidential".  At first glance that assessment seems credible. But what people seem to forget is she is a lawyer, a seasoned litigator, a career politician and government hack going up against a businessman and TV celebrity with no political experience; so she should have had the advantage. Clinton was the seasoned incumbent and Trump was the novice challenger. But considering the expectation bar has been set so low for Donald Trump even though he did not outshine Clinton he didn't come off looking like an out of place idiot on that stage. Clinton did not knock Trump out or show him as unfit as she has been claiming. If anything Trump hurt himself rather than being outshined by Clinton.

            Clinton was adroit getting under Trump's skin. Trump is a narcissistic egomaniac and she put him on the psychological defensive early by saying Trump started out in business with a multi-million dollar loan from his father, while she on the other hand grew up in a working class home. Clinton also got to Trump when she pointed out he had been sued by the federal government for housing discrimination and she got a lot of help from Holt when he raised the "birther" issues and Trump's failure to release his taxes.

            On the campaign trail Trump feeds off of his celebrity status, the energy and  response of the large crowds that flock to see him. He is looked upon as the candidate of change in an era of massive dissatisfaction towards the government and status quo. Clinton on the other hand is the consummate insider and tool of the 1%. She does not draw large crowds like Trump and she is seen by many as the personification of what ails this country. 

            During the debate the audience was admonished to remain quiet and not respond to what either of the candidates said. This hurt Trump because he missed the energy of the crowd. The audience cheered after one exchange where Trump said he would release his tax returns when Hillary released the thirty thousand E-mails from her server, but other than that the audience was silent.

              By contrast, Clinton is charismatically challenged. She is not a celebrity by any stretch of the imagination.  Even her supporters are forced to admit she lacks personal dynamism and she comes across stiff. So not having audience responses probably favored her.  

            The post debate "analysis" was very telling. CNN (some call it the Clinton News Network) and MSNBC gushed that Clinton won the debate by a two to one margin and lambasted Trump for being unprepared http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/27/politics/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-debate-poll/index.html What CNN/ORC are not telling the public is their "poll" was weighted in favor of Democrats meaning more Democrats were asked than Republicans.  So much for the CNN/ORC poll being scientific. The Fox cable news network which seems to be Trump's PR apparatus tried to spin it like Trump did a credible job and some Fox commentators actually said Trump won?!

            Interestingly, Online poll respondents saw the debate differently and the results were the exact opposite of the CNN/ORC poll. Of course the pundits claim the Online polls are bogus but the thing is, the Online polls are far more inclusive even though they are not "scientific". But, neither was the CNN/ORC poll!

            The corporate media has a love hate relationship with Trump, they love the ratings he brings but hates the fact he is the Republican nominee. The oligarchs love Clinton she is their girl and they support her whole heartedly. Amongst the masses, both candidates have huge unfavorable ratings and major likeability issues. 

            Clinton favors globalism, she supports trade agreements (NAFTA and  TTP) that send capital and jobs overseas, boost corporate influence. Most alarmingly she is for unlimited US military intervention and imperialist wars. Trump on the other hand has people like Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich advising him. His trickle down economics and "Law and Order" rhetoric are troubling as are his vague policies.

             All in all it doesn't look good for this country if Clinton and Trump are the best both parties can offer: a female pathological liar, warmonger, career politician versus an alpha male narcissistic jingoist populist.

                                                            -30-