The conflict between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump over racial and gender issues in Monday’s debate reflects a deep divide in voter attitudes: views on the influence of men, women and racial groups in society are closely related to vote preferences. The latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, mainly released Sunday, […] Read more »
Voters Prefer Trump on Economy, Clinton on Most Other Issues
With the presidential election less than two months away, U.S. registered voters say Donald Trump is better able to handle economic issues — such as employment and taxes — than Hillary Clinton. However, these voters see Clinton as better suited than Trump on issues such as the treatment of minority […] Read more »
Debating the debate
We enjoy believing debates are central determinants of election outcomes. They give campaigns a focus, journalists a hook around which to wrap their coverage and citizens the illusion that we render verdicts based on intellectual trial by combat. In truth, though, debates have probably never decided a presidential election. That […] Read more »
In last night’s debate, Clinton went specific — like a Democrat. Trump stayed broad — like a Republican
… In the immediate post-debate analysis, observers concluded that Clinton had played the policy wonk, more comfortable discussing the specifics of her proposals than articulating broader rhetorical themes. … Trump brought no laundry list. He repeated the central theme of his campaign — “I want to make America great again” […] Read more »
Donald Trump’s Unproductive Monday Night
Donald Trump faced one overriding test in Monday night’s long-awaited debate with Hillary Clinton. And by all indications he flunked it—emphatically. Heading into the debate, leading strategists in both parties had identified the same priority for Trump: reducing the historically unprecedented number of voters who say he is not qualified […] Read more »
No matter how garbage the poll, if it shows that Donald Trump won the debate, he’ll endorse it
Before the first presidential debate was over, my colleague Aaron Blake noticed an unusual ad on The Washington Post’s website. “Trump won,” it declared in large type. “Contribute.” The timing was awkward, but this wasn’t necessarily an abnormal response from a campaign: Our guy did great, ignore the haters. Trump […] Read more »