I have this ability to wake myself up minutes before my alarm. Usually, if I set an alarm, I wake up before it goes off and if I don’t set an alarm, trusting myself to get up on time anyway, it’s a 50-50 chance I’ll oversleep. So, I set the alarm and often choose to read or whatever for those extra few minutes before I close it and begin my day.
Last night, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were to debate. With the time zone, it came to 4:00 a.m. starting time. No, thank you. Really. I watched as some of my friends said they were getting up and I thought, not going to happen. I guess my mind set an alarm because there I was, wide awake at 4:02 a.m.
Finding the debate live on the internet was easy “debate live” – thank you, Google. I decided not to bother with most of the US channels, certainly not CNN. I chose a direct feed on YouTube (it might have been NBC but it was thankfully without commentary or interpretation). I realized several things as I watched the entire thing. In no particular order, here they are:
- I was waiting for Hillary to have a seizure or collapse. I wasn’t wishing for it but I certainly expected it. That she made it through the debate was to her credit though I still wonder at her medical condition and I believe if Donald Trump is expected to release his tax returns, she should be examined by an independent doctor because I have serious doubts as to whether she’ll survive to the end of a four year presidency and I can only wonder how little her family cares for her if rather than encouraging her to choose life, they are pushing her to get elected. Sad family dynamics, if you ask me.
- The moderator was anything but impressive and anything but balanced. He hit Trump off right away with the question of his tax returns and several times intervened to “correct” Trump – in at least one case, Lester Holt gave incorrect information and insisted it was true.
- Lester Holt said he would ask Clinton about the emails – he didn’t. He didn’t ask about the Clinton Foundation finances (which should have been the follow up to the question posed to Trump). He didn’t ask about Benghazi. He didn’t present any questions related to the current assessment of the Iran deal implementation and recent reports of increased nuclear activity, or the cash ransom paid to Iran.
- Holt didn’t ask about the rise in terror and how it relates to the refugee issue.
There is no question that Hillary is a more eloquent speaker, a better spinner of sound bites but rarely did she answer any question with real plans. It was all the feel-good blabber of a politician and not very impressive at that. For the most part, I felt her greatest achievement of the night was not collapsing during the event.
Trump came across stronger when it came to money issues and business. And both had some good zingers in there. No question, Hillary has more experience but as Trump pointed out – bad experience doesn’t really amount to much.
She continued to try to hold him to the standard of a politician when he never claimed to be one. He has been a business man and without question, excels in that. He has built an empire; she and Obama have done much to destroy one.
She accused Trump of being a racist – he answered that claim very nicely and one cannot ignore that racial tensions and violence appears to be at an all time high under the last eight years of Obama’s reign.
Was it worth waking up at 4:00 a.m. and missing close to two hours of sleep? Not much. Did it change anyone’s mind or vote? Probably not. Did it lessen the tension, the anger, the hatred that is swamping America? Not at all.
The debate was nasty, ugly. Trump called her Secretary Clinton; she called him Donald. I have heard many stories about how she treated people in the White House and State Department. I have heard how she called someone an F***** Jew. I saw that nastiness last night.
By far the best comment I saw on Facebook comes from a friend who wrote “My thoughts, prayers and empathy go out to all American voters.#KobayashiMaru”
Too bad neither of these candidates will ever come close to being a James Tiberius Kirk…
