Quick Debate Takeaways

Last night will probably be the only debate I watch completely and live since I will be on the other side of the world for the month of October.  There will be lots of hot and not so hot takes on this one, as Hillary Clinton did a mighty fine job of both demonstrating she is capable and Donnie is not.  So, I just want to point a few things that are likely to matter, besides her greater stamina:

• Clinton got Trump to basically admit that he pays no taxes!
• Clinton got Trump to admit that he stiffs those who work for him.
• Clinton got Trump to basically admit he is a serial misogynist with the discussion of the former Miss Universe, which allowed him to offend women and Latinos. 

While debates may not move the needle that much, those are three significant punches that landed hard (I could not help but think of Rocky IV when Rocky cuts the Russian).   She appeared ready (dare she say it, prepared) to be President, Trump did not.  I will not go into the NATO discussion, having discussed it here, here, here, and here.  But Clinton's basic take--speaking to our allies, our word is good and that our allies joined us after we were attacked--was the right one.  Not too technical, just the right beats.  Indeed, the combo of Trump statements leads to the realization as someone tweeted that NATO members might underpay but they pay far more for US defense than Trump does with his zero tax payments.

Enjoy the October debates--I will either be sleeping or drinking heaps of sake.


Update:  I forgot this exchange:
Mrs. Clinton, seeking to portray Mr. Trump as an enemy of working people, said he had “rooted for the housing crisis” because of the financial opportunities it might afford him. “That’s called business, by the way,” he interjected.  from NYT summary  although the summary omits his admission that he does not pay taxes.