“The Sands is proud to present a wonderful new show…” One half expected Count Basie to strike up his band as two veteran entertainers took to the stage in Sin City.
Well, not quite. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (“different, daring, diverse”), was certainly proud to be hosting the third and last presidential debate of this electoral season, but almost everyone else I spoke to in advance was dreading it.
For before this evening was over, one candidate was going to get the brush, and many manners were going to be forgotten in the process. “Luck let a gentleman see,” goes the song, “just how nice a dame you can be.”
Read more: The Midge - Clinton 'horrified' as Trump says he may not accept election result
But HRC was in no mood to keep this party polite. The opening set, concerning guns and abortion, was a gift for the Democratic nominee; she supported the first (with qualifications) and defended the second, while DJT spoke of babies being “ripped” out of wombs. Next was immigration. “We have bad hombres here and we gotta get them out!” declared DJT, terminology that HRC made little of, instead accusing him of having “choked” on meeting the Mexican president, not even mentioning his “beautiful” wall. DJT retorted that HRC once supported a wall too, but she was so rubbish it hadn’t got built. In response, HRC admitted to wanting “appropriate” walls, just not big ones.
Yes, it was that sort of debate, one in which Vladimir Putin was the evening’s special guest star. This enabled DJT to demonstrate his grasp of foreign affairs, not only Putin (“he said nice things about me!”), the Mexican president (“a very nice man”), Japan (who needed to be told “in a very nice way” to pay up), but also Syria’s Assad who, like Putin, had consistently out-smarted silly old Hillary. The Russian president, HRC shot back, would clearly like having a “puppet” in the White House.
In spite of his opening pep talk, compere Chris Wallace worried that things were “getting out of control”, not least because sections of the audience kept hollering as if spectating at a boxing match. The same was true at the UNLV student union, where a spirited minority cheered on Trump whenever he socked it to the Democratic dame. “Don’t be shy! C’mon,” bellowed a guy near me when DJT accused HRC of having cooked up his women accusers.
Read more: The Midge - Clinton 'horrified' as Trump says he may not accept election result
But most of the high rollers I watched it with groaned at DJT and cheered on HRC, especially when she compared their respective CVs. In essence, while she was busy getting her hands dirty, the Donald had been messing around with a TV show. Clinton also reminded viewers at home that Trump had form when it came to saying things were “rigged”, including the Emmys. “I shoulda got it,” said Trump of his reality TV show, somewhat wistfully.
We also learned that Trump “developed” friends rather than “made” them, but otherwise he was the best prepared, most measured and sharpest in response of the three debates (hey, it’s all relative). But then Vegas was DJT’s kinda town. Two miles west loomed the Trump International Hotel which, as HRC unkindly pointed out, was “made with Chinese steel”.
A lady doesn’t flirt with strangers; she’d have a heart, she’d have a soul. But DJT was no longer a stranger to HRC, and thus she knew precisely when to move in for the kill. “Such a nasty woman,” said his victim at one point, though he gave as good as he got.
Read more: The Midge - Clinton 'horrified' as Trump says he may not accept election result
“Lots of luck Hillary,” declared DJT when the ninety minutes was almost up, effectively conceding defeat, but when it came to the political fundamentals last night, luck was very much a lady.
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