Politics –
Debate Round 1:
Hillary vs. Donald

And, they’re off!  Debate Round 1 between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump took place last night at Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. Needless to say, it was everything and more it was cracked up to be.

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Debate Round 1 was undoubtedly one of the most highly anticipated and most-watched presidential debates in history. It did not disappoint. Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton both entered the ring cool, calm and collected.  However, it didn’t take long for the thin-skinned Trump to go off the rails.

Donald Trump had one task: to erase the notion that he is completely unprepared and unqualified to be president.  He didn’t do it. In the words of one political pundit, the Republican nominee went from the very likeable and presidential “Teleprompter Trump” to the feisty attack-dog “Twitter Trump” to the downright nasty “Rally Trump” — all within the first 30 minutes.  It was not a good look.

Appearing every bit as a veteran politician and highly experienced debater, Hillary Clinton worked Debate Round 1 like a professional fisherman. Or in other words, she picked her spots, set the traps, then sat back and watched while Trump took the bait every single time. He just couldn’t help himself.

Mrs. Clinton drew cheers from the crowd when she criticized her challenger’s economic plan as “Trumped up trickle-down economics that relies on tax cuts for the wealthy.” She also hit on such hot-topic points as Trump’s unreleased tax returns, his stiffing former employees by not paying them, his multiple corporate bankruptcies, his years of leading the “birther” movement against President Obama, as well as his belief that most black and Hispanic Americans are living in hell.

In contrast, Trump spent the night snorting and breathing hard into the mic, sipping water (a la Marco Rubio), repeatedly interrupting his challenger, and remaining in a perpetual state of argument mode. Instead of using his valuable minutes to turn the tides on Hillary Clinton’s transgressions, Trump was more concerned with his trademark move of chasing after the personal attack. His performance became so heated,  USA Today writer Rochelle Riley said she was waiting for Trump to say “Yo mama” to Clinton.

Politics
At one point, Trump bragged about his recent campaign appearances throughout the country, while making the point that Hillary Clinton “stayed home.”  Her response was priceless.

“I think Donald just criticized me for preparing for this debate. And yes, I did,” Mrs. Clinton said. “And you know what else I prepared for? I prepared to be president. And I think that’s a good thing.”

During another part of the evening, Trump used Mrs. Clinton’s recent bout with pneumonia to question her stamina for the presidency. Again, her response was golden.

“As soon as he travels to 112 countries and negotiates a peace deal, a cease-fire, a release of dissidents, an opening of new opportunities in nations around the world, or even spends 11 hours testifying in front of a congressional committee, he can talk to me about stamina,” Mrs. Clinton said, once again prompting cheers from the crowd.

A CNN/ORC Poll conducted immediately following Debate Round 1 tilted heavily in favor of Hillary Clinton, with 62% to 27% believing she was the clear winner of the night.

OK WASSUP! discusses politics, including
highlights of Debate Round 1 between
Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.