Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Third Presidential Debate: An Analysis

The third Presidential debate was, hands down, one of the best 90 minutes of television I've ever seen, and Donald Trump won by a landslide. Hillary was on the defensive on nearly all issues presented at the debate, from immigration to under-the-table campaign donations. Here's a recap of what happened issue-by-issue.

The Supreme Court

When Hillary was asked about her plans for Supreme Court nominees, she stated that she would "do what's best for the people and for America", instead of having a clear stance on how her justices would interpret the Constitution.

Trump, on the other hand, was very clear on what his plans are. He stated that his nominees will be well-educated conservative judges with pro-life stances, and that a Supreme Court under his administration would interpret the Constitution as it was written, with the spirit of the Founding Fathers in mind.

In my personal opinion, Trump won this because of his use of explicit detail and facts in his explanation.

Immigration

When Hillary was asked about her stance on immigration, she pivoted from her pro-open borders position to a more moderate "wait-and-see approach, and when Trump confronted her about her remarks during the recently-leaked Goldman Sachs speech, she tried to explain it away as a proposal for a continental power grid.

Trump continued his current position on building a border wall, extreme vetting on asylum requests from refugees in the Middle East, and deportation of illegal immigrants from Mexico, other South American countries, and visa overstayers. 

In my opinion, Trump won this portion of the debate because of the consistency of his position, and his ability to defend it and continue his point.

Abortion

Hillary continued on her pro-abortion stance, and she showed continued support for Roe v. Wade and partial birth abortions. Nothing new here.

Trump continued on his pro-life stance, and said that during his presidency, abortion would be a state issue, and he brought forth several negative points in Hillary's position, one of which is that under her plan, all abortions, including late-term and partial birth abortions, are legal. Hillary continued to be on the defensive on this one.

In my opinion, Trump won this round because of his ability to appeal to morality, and to defend his position effectively.

Firearm Laws

When asked about this, Trump agreed with the moderator, in that he wants to remove magazine size restrictions and assault rifle bans. He affirmed his support for the Second Amendment, and recognized his endorsement from the NRA.

Hillary continued her vague stance on gun control, claiming that she would create "common sense" gun laws that would, according to her, keep children safe and reduce firearm accidents.

In my opinion, Trump won this round because he had a clear stance on this issue, and did an excellent job presenting it.

In Conclusion

This debate was no contest. Trump was on the offense for the entire debate, and he was hammering Hillary on all the issues. He was consistent on his positions, and he showed confidence that wasn't in previous debates. Trump handily won this debate.

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