In closing (ending a national debate)
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Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer.
Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.
—-
John F. Kennedy
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Whew. Finally.
The last 2016 American election presidential debate. No more World Wrestling Foundation political events.
While I will say a couple things let me begin with the most important thing everyone should pay attention to with regard to the third debate — the close.
Anyone in business knows that how you close a big meeting is, well, YUGE <as Bernie Sanders would say>.
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Their closing statements summed it all up for me: Clinton’s was a message of hope and unification, Trump couldn’t help himself and ended on a pointless attack. Never has a candidate proven himself so utterly childlike – it’s entertaining but profoundly disturbing that he’s actually managed to make it this far.
Djozer
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Closing statements create the foundation for vision and attitude which ultimate blends into the behavior you should expect. Just as in what they decided to wear … I received optimism and togetherness from the lady in white and dark, despair and divide from the man in black.
I couldn’t think of better symbolism for the choice at hand.
As for the debate itself? While exhibiting moments of actual leadership lucidity, Trump continuously reverts back to some tween like persona given half a chance.
<1>:
“Look, she’s been proven to be a liar in so many ways,” Trump pouted.
“This is just another lie.”
<when, in fact, she spoke his own words back to him>
Parallel universe?
This after he had run thru a continuous string of lies <or ¼ truths> that fact checkers just gave up and suggested he could do nothing but lie.
<2>:
“Such a nasty woman.”
Parallel universe?
Uhm … hard to reconcile Trump’s remark with a claim he made earlier the night that “no one has more respect for women than I do.”
<3>:
“<insert anything he says here>”
Parallel universe?
Anything his surrogates say trying to explain what he said.
<note: if you are actually paying people to tell people what you really said and what you really meant you do not belong in that job>
Next.
To me the funniest moment was ‘You’re The Puppet!’ <a moment that had every small child gleefully clapping>
Background: Trump just lost his temper when Clinton suggested Russian president Vladimir Putin would like to see Trump in office “because he’d rather have a puppet as president.”
“No puppet, no puppet!” Trump interjected.
Clinton continued, “It’s pretty clear you won’t admit…”
“You’re the puppet!” Trump shouted.
“That the Russians have engaged in cyber attacks …”
“No, you’re the puppet!” Trump said again.
“Against the United States of America,” Clinton concluded.
You just cannot make this shit up. This is comedic genius <albeit part of a presidential debate>.
Next.
To me the most horrifying moment <of which there were several candidates for this slot> was the late term abortion discussion moment where Trump gave a horrifying description of ripping full-term babies from the womb <several times … it seemed like he liked saying it>.
Sigh.
I don’t care if you are pro-life or not … Trump’s foul and incorrect depiction of later term abortion was … well … horrifying.
Look.
Debates are debates and politics is messy. I don’t really care <assuming we actually get to hear the truth on occasion and ‘communication malpractice’ is kept to a minimum>. But words really do matter. Despite Trump’s seeming disdain for not only using adult words and acting like an adult when he speaks what he says is heard by millions and, whether they agree with him or not, those same millions at least ponder them as some semi credible thought <because, for god’s sake, he is the nominee of one of the 2 parties>.
We have heard him diminish people, groups of people and religions of people, we have heard him call Clinton much worse than a “nasty woman”, we have heard him espouse a creative array of conspiracy theories <presented as fact> and we have heard him offer a safe haven for the rage of anyone who believes America is not the America that they want.
I cannot envision how Trump can win. America just seems too good for him. But in his ignorant bull in a china shop leadership style he has inserted an insidious thread of “un-American thoughts” under the guise of “what makes America great” which actually threatens the foundation of the republic.
He is a false prophet to people who have real grievances.
It creates a challenge for the Clinton presidency. But a challenge worth taking on.
She will have to ignore Trump and listen to these people.
While I believe she will be a good president and will offer the country some good pragmatic actionable ideas I believe her presidency will ultimately be defined by how well she listens to what she referred to as “the deplorables” and invests in their lives enough so that they no longer act in deplorable ways. And, maybe mos importantly, she invests in words & thoughts to fill the spaces in people’s minds with good & ‘right’ thoughts.
Regardless.
Thank god the debates are over.
ADDENDUM:
Speaking of closings … last evening was a charity event in which both Trump & Clinton light hearted jabbed at themselves and each other. Some jabs were good and some feel flat.
I don’t care. It was a charity event.
However. Clinton chose to close her lighthearted comments by shifting into a more serious presidential-like message.
I will admit. Most times her speaking is too measured and too earnest for my tastes.
But. She has what I call “a presidential gear.” She shifts gears. She looks slightly more focused and her voice drops down and flattens her vowels and rounds out her consonants.
And when she does that and has the right words? Yowza. And she chose to do so at the close of this dinner and hit a frickin’ grand slam home run.
It was a fabulous message for a fabulous country working through a fabulously difficult time. I cannot find all the words online but she reminded the audience that the namesake of the dinner, Al Smith, faced prejudice for being Catholic and that many of the dinner’s attendees were immigrants or children of immigrants and said:
“There is nothing funny about the stakes in this election. In the end, what makes this dinner important are not the jokes we tell, but the legacy we carry forward. It is often easy to forget how far this country has come, and there are a lot of people in this room tonight who themselves, or their parents or grandparents, came here as immigrants, made a life for yourselves, took advantage of the American dream and the greatest system that has ever been created in the history of world.
Divisive rhetoric makes it harder for us to see each other and listen to each other, and certainly a lot harder to love our neighbor as ourselves.”
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