On Monday, Sept. 26, 2016, the first presidential debate of the election season took place in Hofstra University, New York. Although both candidates provided fair arguments, democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was more prepared during the debate and was the clear winner.
Firstly, Clinton remained calm. Republican candidate Donald Trump continuously insulted Clinton, her campaign, and her career as a government representative, with remarks claiming she “does not have the stamina [to be president]”. Despite his language, Clinton remained calm, gave clear and consistent answers, and also managed to dismiss any claims Trump made throughout the night. According to PBS, Trump interrupted Clinton 51 times at Monday’s debate. Even though it was hard for her to get out a simple sentence, Clinton still managed to state her answer with complete professionalism.
Secondly, Clinton gave detailed answers. When asked about the issues concerning race and police attacks in our country, Senator Clinton explained that the two main issues surrounding police attacks is race and guns. She would want to retrain police to only use force when absolutely necessary and to remove guns – including military style guns – from people who are too dangerous to carry these weapons. Although Trump did bring up serious topics, such as ISIS, cyber security, and the companies outsourcing , he did not fully explain his answers and left many viewers confused on his true message.
Finally, Clinton’s performance on Monday increased her chances for the remainder of the race. According to CNN, 62 percent of voters have claimed Clinton the winner while 27 percent say that Trump beat the senator. These polls show that majority of viewers on Monday night believed Clinton has a better head on her shoulders and will have a better chance at winning the election come November.
Although many believe Trump’s business ethics would guarantee him a spot in the white house, Clinton proved that her years of experience in office would pay off as President of the United States due to her thorough and precise proposals.
The United States needs a president who clearly shows they care about issues that reflect what would benefit the American people the most, and is passionate for change.
The two candidates will go head to head once again on Oct. 9, 2016 in St. Louis, Missouri. If the polls are any indication of the remainder of the race, the United States will make history electing the first female president.
