There Are Ways To Cope

The media have been very, very broken for some time now, but there are ways for candidates to cope. It's an important skill, to be able to change the subject quickly, and steer the debate towards one's preferred subjects. Because Hillary has been subject to very bad press for a very long time now, and because she prepared well for this debate, she was ready for press failure.

Trump wasn't ready, mostly because he improvises at every turn. When the available time is short, and he's in the moment, he can land blow after blow without reprisal. Press failure is his ally at times like that.

Improvisation doesn't quite work in a one-on-one debate, however. There is simply too much time available. Trump has to keep talking even if the product is word salad. And he didn't carefully prepare his steering paths in advance. He was rusty. Hillary was able to block his efforts and steer the debate to subjects of her choosing.

I was just happy Lester Holt distanced himself from the match.

Boxing is one of the oldest sports, because it's simultaneously open and confrontational. It's completely artificial in its own way too, like an American Presidential debate. Training helps, of course. Nothing like an uppercut. Time for Trump to get with the spirit of the sport.