How Trump Simultaneously Won And Lost The First Debate | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

How Trump Simultaneously Won And Lost The First Debate

It depends on the definition of win.

3
How Trump Simultaneously Won And Lost The First Debate
The Guardian

Who won the first presidential debate? The hashtag #TrumpWon has been trending on Twitter since the close of the first presidential debate last night, yet the tweets themselves are rather mixed. Many conservatives and Trump himself are posting screenshots of polls declaring the GOP candidate the winner, while others attach memes of confusion and laughter or blanketed false statements as a way to mock it. One quick scroll through the top tweets shows the Twittersphere has yet to reach a consensus on whether it’s a joke or not.

However, regardless of whether the trend developed into a cycle of facetious #NeverTrump users poking fun at #MAGA (Make America Great Again) tweeters – with the latter not understanding they’re the butt of a joke – the polls exist. This isn’t to say polls are an undeniably accurate depiction of what the American people believe (far from it, in fact), but they shouldn’t be tossed away immediately, as they are at least from a variety of sources (liberal, conservative and moderate media conglomerates) – which is unusual for pro-Trump responses.

Then again, another surprise may occur when voluntary pollsters realize the facts check the updated percentages throughout the following days, which the Politico Caucus touches on: “‘Donald Trump exposed himself to be a clown,’ added a New Hampshire Democrat, who also predicted ‘the polls will show dramatic movement in next 24 hours.’”

Similarly ambivalent, Trump’s demeanor and body language could be interpreted as a win or a loss. His ironic, perhaps karma-caused sniffles (given his continuous criticism of Secretary Clinton’s health, who appeared to have no ailments during the debate) that he contended did not happen – blaming a bad mic for the sounds instead – which consequently assured to his supporters that the good ol’ aphorisms ‘mind over matter’ and ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ still hold true.

His dedicated fans may appreciate his loud voice and reluctance to back down when Clinton or moderator Lester Holt was talking over him, but on top of consistent interruptions, others may consider it “braggadocious” after all. For example, this debate transcript by The Washington Post proves Trump interjected the word “Wrong” six times and there were nine instances of “crosstalk” throughout the debate. (Though, to be fair, there is no one individual to blame for that. It takes two – or in this case, three – to tango.)

Biased arguments based on political preferences aside, there is a general consensus among journalists and political pundits that debates don’t really matter in terms of gaining votes. As CNN details, “The vast majority of Americans have already decided who they're voting for along party lines,” so unless something dramatic occurs, their opinion will not sway.

This is why, despite Trump’s factual errors, he may have still won the debate – and the future election. From the classic lies about President Obama’s nationality and dubbing his father’s financial contribution a “small loan,” to more recent insistences like he never labeled climate change a hoax and the positive impact stop-and-frisk policies have on lowering crime rates, Fortune points out “his supporters seem to be able to find a way to excuse their candidate’s incorrect statements, forgive his inadequacies, and put a positive spin on his failures.”

This means other than a chance for candidates to defend themselves against their opponent in real time, debates are essentially just beneficial for the undecided. And it seems doubtful either candidate successfully garnered much in that department, leaving us with the same question we started with.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

The Daily Struggles of Being a College Commuter

It's not all morning coffees and singing along to the radio.

691
The Daily Struggles of Being a College Commuter
morethanwheels

I've been in college for four years now. I spent half my time as a commuter and half as a resident so I've experienced both sides of the housing spectrum. One thing I've learned comparing the two is that my struggles as a commuter far outweigh anything I went through while living on campus. Commuters have to deal with the problems school brings along with a slew of other issues; I've filled up my gas tank in the worst kind of weather conditions and napped in random places in public more times than I'm proud to say of. This is a list of some of the most challenging aspects of being a commuter.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

15 Times Michael Scott's Life Was Worse Than Your Life

Because have you ever had to endure grilling your foot on a George Foreman?

3455
Michael Scott
NBC

Most of the time, the world's (self-proclaimed) greatest boss is just that, the greatest. I mean, come on, he's Michael Freakin' Scott after all! But every once in a while, his life hits a bit of a speed bump. (or he actually hits Meredith...) So if you personally are struggling through a hard time, you know what they say: misery loves company! Here are 15 times Michael Scott's life was worse than your life:

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

17697
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments