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http://www.electoral-vote.com/evp2016/Pres/Maps/Aug17.html#item-4
For a policy wonk, preparing for a debate with an opponent who has little knowledge and no interest in policy should be a piece of cake, but it is not. Hillary Clinton is already studying briefing books, and her staff is building a full-scale set exactly like the real debate stage. What she can't prepare for is the unpredictability of Donald Trump and the likelihood that he won't try to out-wonk her but, instead will try to throw her for a loop. Suppose he opens with: "I'd like to thank the American people, especially Monica Lewinsky, Paula Jones, and Gennifer Flowers." How should she respond? Suppose Trump casually says that, unlike his opponent, who murdered Vince Foster, he has never murdered anyone. What does she say?
Another issue is finding someone to play Trump in the practice debates. Buying an orange wig at a party-supplies store will be the easy part. From then on it gets much harder. It can't be someone who knows a lot about policy and gives detailed answers to policy questions because Trump won't do that. It has to be some who can mimic Trump's style, mannerisms, and attitude. And especially it has to be someone who delights in hitting below the belt. Most of her friends and colleagues don't want to take this role. Possible stand-ins include billionaire Mark Cuban, Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY), James Carville, and Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), among others. Preparation for the first debate is one of the most grueling parts of a campaign.
It is not known how seriously Trump is taking his debate prep, or even if he will do any at all. He knows he can never come over as knowing more about any specific policy than she does, so he might not try. His prep might consist of memorizing zingers Roger Ailes thinks up. The downside of that is he could end up in trouble with the moderators. If a moderator asks a specific policy question and he doesn't answer it at all, the moderator could follow up and make it clear to everyone that Trump doesn't even understand the question. For example, suppose he is asked: "Mr Trump, since you want to cut taxes and government revenues by $10 trillion in the next 10 years, all departments, including the DoD will come under budget pressure. If you were forced to cut part of the nuclear triad, what would you cut?" If he evades the question, what happens if the moderator asks point blank: "Do you know what the nuclear triad is and if so, which part do you consider the least important?" A few real stumbles could make it clear that he is not ready for prime time, whereas Clinton, faults and all, is ready for the job.
For a policy wonk, preparing for a debate with an opponent who has little knowledge and no interest in policy should be a piece of cake, but it is not. Hillary Clinton is already studying briefing books, and her staff is building a full-scale set exactly like the real debate stage. What she can't prepare for is the unpredictability of Donald Trump and the likelihood that he won't try to out-wonk her but, instead will try to throw her for a loop. Suppose he opens with: "I'd like to thank the American people, especially Monica Lewinsky, Paula Jones, and Gennifer Flowers." How should she respond? Suppose Trump casually says that, unlike his opponent, who murdered Vince Foster, he has never murdered anyone. What does she say?
Another issue is finding someone to play Trump in the practice debates. Buying an orange wig at a party-supplies store will be the easy part. From then on it gets much harder. It can't be someone who knows a lot about policy and gives detailed answers to policy questions because Trump won't do that. It has to be some who can mimic Trump's style, mannerisms, and attitude. And especially it has to be someone who delights in hitting below the belt. Most of her friends and colleagues don't want to take this role. Possible stand-ins include billionaire Mark Cuban, Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY), James Carville, and Sen. Al Franken (D-MN), among others. Preparation for the first debate is one of the most grueling parts of a campaign.
It is not known how seriously Trump is taking his debate prep, or even if he will do any at all. He knows he can never come over as knowing more about any specific policy than she does, so he might not try. His prep might consist of memorizing zingers Roger Ailes thinks up. The downside of that is he could end up in trouble with the moderators. If a moderator asks a specific policy question and he doesn't answer it at all, the moderator could follow up and make it clear to everyone that Trump doesn't even understand the question. For example, suppose he is asked: "Mr Trump, since you want to cut taxes and government revenues by $10 trillion in the next 10 years, all departments, including the DoD will come under budget pressure. If you were forced to cut part of the nuclear triad, what would you cut?" If he evades the question, what happens if the moderator asks point blank: "Do you know what the nuclear triad is and if so, which part do you consider the least important?" A few real stumbles could make it clear that he is not ready for prime time, whereas Clinton, faults and all, is ready for the job.
