Debate Preview

I have been sick off and on this week so I forgot about the friday post.

Debate Preview:

The first debate is tomorrow.  Here is what I am watching for all the candidates.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary has debated before this election cycle.  She is more experienced than Trump, and has been pretty level headed.  Her poll numbers have been steady since her nomination.  Her biggest weakness is some people don't see her as honest and trustworthy. What I am looking for is her engagement of the voters who don't like her or Trump.  If she can convince people that she is better than Trump, and that the third-party candidates are not good options (mainly because neither third party candidates have a real shot at winning).  

Donald Trump

It seems that the presidential acting Donald Trump has diminished and him and his surrogates are returning to the brash, controversial, honest style.  His biggest weakness because he doesn't do a good job at outlining policies, and often insults various groups. Donald Trump's path to the presidency means he must convince more people to support him, and make sure that all his supporters vote for him.  My current theory is that Donald Trump won the nomination by having a very large percentage of his supports turn out to the primary (a crowded field helped this as well).  

Gary Johnson (Libertarian Party)

Gary Johnson did  not qualify for the debate. However, he was close and has a chance of making the cut in the future debates. He will be at Hofstra University and is holding a rally there.  If he can get some press both tomorrow and in the future he could qualify for the next debate which I think would skyrocket his polls.  His biggest challenge is he is not getting the coverage the two main party candidates are.

Jill Stein (Green Party)

Jill Stein has no chance of making a debate.  I think she even knows this.  Her campaign is not about winning as much as it is about bringing attention to climate change and foreign policy.  She will be periscoping  (live video streaming) during the debate at Hofstra University but not inside the debate hall.

Overall I am excited to see how things play out over tomorrow.