SEPTEMBER 26, 2016
Photo: Getty
I know this column will be absolutely useless come Monday at 9pm ET. But I’m going to write it anyway.
The eyes of the world will be on Hofstra University on Monday night as Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton meet on the debate stage for the first time for what will likely be the most-watched Presidential debate ever.
Here’s the deal — faithful readers of this column know that I’ve been covering this race (relentlessly) for the last 15 months, and while I have been delving into the minutiae of the race, regular voters (about 95% of them) are just checking in now, and, for some, this will be their first experience of seeing Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as candidates. So Monday night’s debate is a big deal and could turn the tide for either aspirant.
Not that I’m a debate prep coach (since I rarely, if ever, win arguments even with my husband), but not knowing anything has never stopped me from having opinions, so I would offer a bit of advice for Monday night’s combatants.
Dear Donald Trump:
Remember when you met with the President of Mexico? Be that Presidential guy. Don’t get down with “Crooked Hillary.” Stash that name-calling in a drawer, because if you use it, she’s going to flatten you, as she’s tough, maybe tougher than you might expect. So you have to man up. 90 minutes fielding policy questions is a long time, and you’ve never been in a one-on-one debate before (Clinton has many times). You have ex-Fox News head Roger Ailes in your corner — he may be the Devil Incarnate, but he knows television (which might be the same thing). Use him! One thing you have in your favor is low expectations, so don’t drool. And, seriously, bone up on foreign policy, especially about Syria and North Korea. Still, given the low expectations, you can win this thing if you check your inclination to slash and burn. Stay away from Monica Lewinsky or Gennifer Flowers, because as far as marital fidelity goes, let’s just say you’re vulnerable. You’ve got to look Presidential. This is yours to win, given the expectations, and Monday provides many opportunities to seal the deal.
Dear Hillary Clinton:
Do not underestimate Donald Trump. He is dangerous. Unless you have a deadly zinger that you know would get under his skin, flick him off. This debate is an opportunity for you to sell yourself to the American people. Just being “not Donald Trump” isn’t going to be enough to carry you across the finish line. You’ve got a great case to make for yourself that has not yet been reflected in your anti-Trump TV ads. I know that you’ve been studying your briefing books for weeks and know foreign policy inside out, but if you’re going to try to expose Trump’s lack of foreign policy knowledge, do it subtly. Like it or not, you’re the underdog in this debate, because expectations for Trump are so low. I’m not going to tell you to smile or wear a nice outfit — I’m telling you to be the Hillary Clinton that so many people who know you swear is inside you but whom the public has never seen. And don’t be the policy wonk — Al Gore did that and he lost. You’ve admitted that you’re not the born campaigner that Obama and your husband are. That’s OK. But don’t hide behind lawyerly language — that won’t persuade the American people who are looking for a leader. You have the chance to become that Monday night.
