There were no questions about Benghazi. There was not a single question about Secretary Clinton's private email server and the subsequent deaths of intelligence assets overseas. There were no questions about the Iranian money for hostages trade. Mr. Holt didn't ask Secretary Clinton about the failed Russian "reset," the cringeworthy Iran deal, her statement about half the country being a "basket of deplorables," immigration, her refusal to hold a press conference, or her recent collapse in the heat at a 9/11 function.
Mr. Trump, on the other hand, was asked about being a "birther," asked about his tax returns, his past statements about women, his position on the invasion of Iraq (before he was even a politician), his bankruptcies, and his temperament. It was an all out assault on his character.
Now, many people will argue that there is simply more to attack Trump on and so that's how the debate went. That is partially true, but even the most hardened Democrat can recognize that Secretary Clinton was not pressed on any major misstatement or policy mistake. Holt just handed her a win that she didn't even need.
Even taking all of that into consideration, it was a lively debate in which the candidates took control. Neither candidate did anything to win over undecided voters. If you were for Clinton, you are still for Clinton. If you were for Trump, you are still for Trump. Trump's negatives are already baked into the pie. The media and the Clinton campaign have spend hundreds of millions of dollars and thousands of hours of time attacking Trump on every dumb thing he's said or done in his life. If you were persuaded by that, you're not going to suddenly change your mind. Likewise, if you know all of these things about Trump and were willing to support him anyway, nothing he said Monday night will change that. In that sense, the debate was a draw.
This debate did do one thing really well. It drew a stark contrast between the candidates. Trump is an unconventional candidate that approaches politics from the outside. He has been the target of government regulation and interference, and he knows first hand how government can destroy prosperity. He also knows how inefficient government is and why. Secretary Clinton, on the other hand, is the epitome of a wonky insider. She knows the issues, she wants to explore them by committee, engage other "experts" in the resolution and then implement that resolution. She approaches problems from a technocratic perspective, but one that is devoid of actual experience in the trenches with ordinary Americans or businesses. Hers is a theoretical approach, he is results oriented. She will accept the status quo, he will not.
This election is about experience; it's just a question of which kind of experience we want. Donald Trump is an experienced builder and business man. He actually employs people, builds buildings, deals with regulators, lawyers and the courts. He lives with the consequences of government everyday. He mingles with other businessmen and hears their concerns. He has been in the fight his entire life and he has succeeded. Secretary Clinton also has tremendous experience. She has been in government in one form or another for her entire adult life. She knows how politicians think and how to mobilize them to act on an agenda. She understands the nuances of diplomacy, even if she tends to come up short in the end when the deal is done. She has access to "experts," who will provide her with reasonable advice.
There really is a stark choice in this election, perhaps more so that in any other election. Their life stories, agendas, temperaments, experiences and policies could not be more different. All of those Establishment Republicans that were afraid Donald Trump is a secret democrat can't possibly still hold onto those illusions now. Bernie Sanders supporters can no longer hold on to any hope that Clinton will stay to the left during the general election. She will most certainly continue to move to the center in an effort snag those final few undecided voters.
Lester Holt's agenda aside, the debate was pretty even. The candidates had the chance to project the image they wanted to project. It will soon be in the hands of the voters.
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