Trump v. Clinton debate showdown

Hofstra University hosted the first of three presidential debates on Monday, Sept. 26. Pitting the first female Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, against one of the most controversial Republican candidates in American history, Donald Trump, certainly proliferated tension for a debate that was predicted to be a ground-breaking night of arguing.

As expected, the debate delivered. Garnering an audience of over 100 million people as well as receiving over 6.7 million tweets, the first showdown between Trump and Clinton was historic, to say the least. However, as is the usual question in any presidential debate, who won?

Senior Dylan Caine, vice president of the SHS Young Democrats club , is firm on his verdict in who is chalking up the victory.

“I think Clinton won the debate,” Caine said. “She articulated by far the best plan to help this nation prosper in the years ahead. Her plans are based on an inclusive economy, where people of all backgrounds and identities can participate in this great American project. This easily stole the show Monday night, especially when contrasted with Trump’s unfocused, divisive rhetoric.”

Joey Simone, vice president of the Young Conservatives club, echoed the belief that Clinton had stood her ground against her adversary. However, Simone is far from buying into her platform just yet.

“She’s a liar, she’s corrupt, her solutions to the issues at hand have not worked in the past and will not work now. I definitely believe she is unfit for the presidency.”

As is the general consensus among both the members of the Young Democrats and Young Conservatives clubs, Trump repeatedly spun himself into a web of his own words at times and lost the first debate because of this.

The debates are not designed solely for conflict– they also serve the purpose of creating discussion in areas that the country should be politically focused on. Caine said he believed the debate was a success for different reasons.

“I think the debate succeeded in showing the American people the large contrasts that exist in style and substance between both candidates,” Caine said.  “It was eye opening to say the least. For the next debate, I hope the candidates would further delve into their policy proposals. I also hope they discuss their solutions to climate change, an existential threat to our nation and the world as a whole.”

Similarly, Simone said he wants much more from the coming debates and expects both Trump and Clinton to improve drastically.

“I don’t think the debate was successful,” Simone said. “Trump was very interruptive, Holt (the debate’s moderator) could’ve been a little more unbiased and Clinton just sounded fake. No candidate seemed to have a vision that the American people agree with. Trump cannot interrupt; he needs to prepare more. I want to see how Trump responds to losing a debate. I also want to see if Hillary gets more comfortable against him and can give more thorough solutions.”

No matter the outcome of Monday’s debate, one thing is for sure– there is much more to come. For anyone even slightly interested in this year’s presidential election, each debate is a crucial stepping stone in the race for presidency and something that the entire world is tuned in for.

“I am looking forward to the next debate because I always love watching them,” Cain said.
“It’s exciting to see our democracy in action, by having both candidates’ feet held to the fire. It only happens every four years, and I don’t want to miss it!”