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Debate?

I'm not even sure how to start this one. I'm going to try to think as rationally as I can... There's just so much. Anyway - bear with me.

1. The Trump Talk. How can anyone speak like that? I mean, I'm a dude, and I've been in the Navy, and I know that people talk like that. So I'm not surprised, sadly. But... I'm disgusted. I haven't even bothered to watch or listen to what was said - I can guess, and I've read a couple of commentaries about it. And Mr. Trump himself called it "locker room talk" whatever that means, and as if that excuses it. I just... I don't even know what to think. I'm not sure if I'm more disappointed that he said it in the first place or that I'm not surprised. I'm also disappointed that this is what we're talking about, rather than the issues. It's a distraction, and it has become an issue in its own right - for better or worse, character is something we have to talk about when it comes to our nation's leaders. But I wish it weren't. I'm deeply saddened that the nature of our political discussion has revealed such significant flaws in our chosen political representatives. Mr. Trump does NOT represent me. I also believe that he does not represent a majority of men. And yet, he's getting all the play as being the one who "tells it how it really is" or some other such drivel. The fact is, TOO MANY MEN DO TALK LIKE THAT. Far too many. It's discouraging.

2. Mrs. Clinton embarrassed herself by wading into the mud, although she generally did better than Mr. Trump. I expected more and better of her, though, and she should have completely heeded Michelle Obama's advice about going high when your opponent goes low. You're better than that. You don't need to wallow.

3. The trotting out of Mr. Clinton's accusers was a new and terrible development. I know Mr. Trump has threatened to do this for weeks, but it doesn't make anyone look better. Mrs. Clinton had nothing to do with Mr. Clinton's issues. What's the point of dredging them up and putting them on display? I really don't understand... We're deciding on Mrs. Clinton, not Mr. Clinton - he had his go 20 years ago... Is his wife somehow responsible for his indiscretions and immoral if not illegal behavior? I seriously don't get it. I do know that it's just plain ugly, and Mr. Trump doesn't look better because of it.

4. When they finally DID address some of the concerns in the election, the issues and the policy statements, I think that it went fairly well. I can see why Mr. Trump is interesting to people - his ideas are wrong, racist, Islamophobic, and will undoubtedly lead the county into a huge depression - but they're attractive to people who don't know any better. People who equate running a business like running a government. It doesn't work that way, but I can see how one might be interested. Mrs. Clinton, on the other hand, came off as being interested, engaged, and intelligent. Which is part of the (many) reason(s) why men feel threatened by her...

5. Mr. Trump threatening to put her in jail may have won the drama point of the night. That's simply not going to happen, and everyone knows it. It's drama - it makes for interesting reality TV show theatrics, but it's ultimately unsubstantiated and unfeasible.

6. Mr. Trump's last comment was perhaps the best thing I've heard out of his misshapen pie hole. His genuine regard for Mrs. Clinton as "a fighter" came across, and he handled the question much better than she did (complimenting his kids). He does have good kids. But surely there's something about Mr. Trump himself that is worthy of commendation... I mean, nothing comes immediately to mind for me either, and I can understand the pressure of having that to answer first... There's not a lot of love lost between them, and Mrs. Clinton in particular has endured A LOT of personal and emotional attacks.

Anyway. People are calling it a tie. I agree, in that I think they both lost.

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