Debating Trump: "Like being on stage with a chimp with a machine gun."

[Cyrano]

A pundit, I think on MSNBC, actually said this. I wasn't paying much attention as I was busy with something else. But the topic was about how Hillary and Trump were preparing for the debates.

Evidently, Trump isn't preparing at all (meaning he's learning nothing, zero, nada, about world affairs).

We already know that Hillary's grasp of virtually all the issues is top shelf. So the question is, will that be enough?

I guess it all comes down to the moderator(s) and the format. And we know that the optics of a debate are just as important as the words that are said.

So what can we expect? Can a truly intelligent, informed person beat a loose cannon? Or can the loose cannon come across looking like the "winner."

Opinions? Let's hear them.

[Arkansas Granny]

1. According to the Washington Post, Clinton is studying while Trump is brushing up on zingers.

Hillary Clinton is methodically preparing for the presidential debates as a veteran lawyer would approach her biggest trial. She pores over briefing books thick with policy arcana and opposition research. She internalizes tips from the most seasoned debate coaches in her party. And she rehearses, over and over again, to perfect the pacing and substance of her presentation.

Donald Trump is taking a different approach. He summons his informal band of counselors — including former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, talk-radio host Laura Ingraham and ousted Fox News Channel chairman Roger Ailes — to his New Jersey golf course for Sunday chats. Over bacon cheeseburgers, hot dogs and glasses of Coca-Cola, they test out zingers and chew over ways to refine the Republican nominee’s pitch.

Trump’s aides have put together briefing books, not that the candidate is devoting much time to reading them. Trump is not holding any mock debates, proudly boasting that a performer with his talents does not need that sort of prepping. Should Trump submit to traditional rehearsals, some associates are talking about casting Ingraham, an adversarial chronicler of Clinton scandals, to play the Democratic nominee.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-debate-prep-clintons-careful-case-vs-trumps-wrestlemania/2016/08/27/ce05291c-6bbb-11e6-99bf-f0cf3a6449a6_story.html

[piechartking]

3. And eating "bacon cheeseburgers, hot dogs and glasses of Coca-Cola"

I think they left out that he eats the hot dogs with a knife and fork.

[awoke_in_2003]

16. So would you

had you such wee hands.




Sorry, I just love the word "wee"

[chemenger]

22. And, if you believe in the old adage, as Marco Rubbio would have us believe

wee hands imply a wee wee-wee.

[awoke_in_2003]

23. Oui oui. nt

[unblock]

2. i don't buy that he's not preparing, that just an obvious pre-debate lie

part of lowering expectations. part of making hillary look like a pointy-headed academic. part of making the zingers look unplanned and off-the-cuff.


i would venture to guess that he's not cramming in the usual geeky sense, e.g., he's not learning the names of world leaders.

but dollars to donuts he's preparing insults and zingers and one-liners and catchphrases and carefully plotting when to deploys them. this he can to while he's playing golf with his hate media experts.

[tonyt53]

5. You betcha! He is working on buzz lines to get Hillary off message. Insults and innuendo will abound

[piechartking]

7. I disagree, respectfully. This is why:

I had two managers before who were just like him - snake-oil salesmen with zero curiosity and no patience for reading.

They were great at coming up with just-plausible-enough sounding BS that vanished in a puff of smoke whenever someone shined a spotlight or dialed up the focus on the microscope.

And what happened when someone did look closer? They got defensive, angry, lost their cool.

That is what's going to happen. He can plan all the zingers he wants - he'll be sputtering them out with spittle clinging to the corner of his mouth by the time we're nearing the midway mark.

Odds are probably 100 to 1 (pretty good odds) that he tries to storm off the stage at some point.

[unblock]

13. i don't think we're really disagreeing ;)

although I might be expecting a bit more froth from his mouth and his wherever.

[piechartking]

15. You're right. We don't disagree - except for the froth from -wherever. :) n/t

[Volaris]

27. and then his supporters will call that a 'win',...

because they dont know any better.

[GopherGal]

25. Expectations game

I agree. He's just managing expectations.

The MSM loves their horse races, so they will be chomping at the bit to label anything short of a Trump frothing at the mouth kicking and screaming tantrum as a "surprisingly strong performance", while Hillary will be criticized for any hair out of place or crooked flag pin on her lapel... (and, of course, for sounding "shrill" or "strident" or some other code for "female&quot

[gordianot]

4. A pretty good analogy.

If the chimp with a machine gun kills everyone on stage did the chimp win the debate? Almost Zen

[Thinkingabout]

6. He may have Bush's prompter, maybe like a dog trainer collar, give him ashock when he leaves message

[awoke_in_2003]

17. I hope it's not cordless

It would chew through batteries.

[UTUSN]

8. Chimp/machine gun says it all. But his zingers & name-calling aren't witty or profound.

Nothing like, "You're no Jack KENNEDY" or "Born with a silver foot in his mouth" or "Born on third base & thinks he hit a triple."

Anderson COOPER nailed it telling him, "You talk like a five year old child." But I guess the crowd he appeals to are at that level.

[True Dough]

9. I don't know about a machine gun

but Donald the chimp will be armed!

[gordianot]

11. I remember the inappropriate zoological displays from the 1960's.

Poo flinging was very effective and people came back for more. Great simian entertainment for all participants.

[True Dough]

14. But not one of those chimps

ever ran for POTUS. They were ahead of their time and didn't know it!

[William Seger]

29. Good point. Front row at least deserves a warning

[True Dough]

34. Nice!

[Agnosticsherbet]

10. He is going to rely on insults and name calling in order to push Clinton to loose her cool.

He will avoid answering questions he doesn't want to answer by attacking Hillary Clinton or Bill.
If the gets badly trashed, he will claim the media/moderator wasn't fair and won't involve himself in a debate that is not fair.

[Cyrano]

12. Will he even show up for the debate(s)?

If he doesn't like the moderator(s) or the format, he'll start screaming it's "rigged." His backers will believe him no matter what he says or does. Will anyone else buy it?

[annabanana]

18. "TBD"

I think he'll push for Hannity to run it.

[KingCharlemagne]

19. I hope she hammers him on the torture issue and his mockery of

the Times reporter with the disability.

Perfect setup for a "Have you no decency?" Joseph Welch- type moment.

[Jake Stern]

20. Wondered if Trump was going to channel Reagan

with some folksy "There you go again" type debate one liners.

Unfortunately this is a country where a key qualification for President, for many, seems to be they're "someone you can have a beer with".

While Hillary looks poised, polished and presidential she needs to let a little down home peek out once in a while.

[Coyotl]

21. Trump is giving the impression he isn't preparing. Meanwhile, he's crapping his expensive Bermudas.

And you can bet he is preparing more than Hillary needs to.

[lindysalsagal]

24. Hil can handle the chimp. Not to worry. The voters are already set, anyway.

Debates won't effect this election, in terms of votes. Only the broadcasters will benefit. I'll probably tape it so I can hit fast forward.

[Mc Mike]

32. She dismantled an entire gop congressional 'investigative' panel,

and appeared to be having a good time late in her testimony. I think Gowdy was the chair of that one.

[DeltaLitProf]

26. Of course Trump and his minions will say . . .

. . . they're not preparing very much and only hope to hold their own. But Trump will likely do more studying than he's ever done. Hell, the GOP can afford to bring in the best briefers in the business to drill him.

I really wouldn't sleep on this. And Hillary sure won't.

[wheniwasincongress]

28. I still think Trump likely won't debate!

[OnDoutside]

30. It will come down to the strength of the Moderators, to keep the debate on track.

[ecstatic]

31. No it won't be enough, that's why I was ecstatic to hear that they're consulting with psychologists

and Trump's "art of the deal" ghostwriter. Command of the facts will NOT be enough this time around. Especially when you throw the dishonest MSM and/or an incompetent moderator into the mix.

With the right tools, Hillary can exploit Donald's narcissism and play trump like a fiddle. I can't wait!

[Mc Mike]

33. Her opponent has nothing but weaknesses and failures.

He knows nothing, about anything. He didn't even know that Tom Kean was the New Jersey Governor and 9/11 Commission Chairman, though he had done business in New Jersey for decades, and claimed he saw thousands of Moslems celebrating 9/11 in NJ while the attacks were occurring. That's why he got Tim Kaine confused with Tom Kean, he just didn't know Anything, even while he was running on 'trumpublican Americans were attacked on 9/11'.

She knows nearly everything, about everything. All she needs is to relax and breathe. 'Say Hi to fishbonehead1 for me, the next time yer tweeting, donnie.'