So, who won: Hillary or Trump?

Who won the debate? That was the most-asked question on Tuesday after a bitter head-to-head US presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
Both sides cried victory Tuesday as the spin game that began the very instant the debate ended kept up in full gear.
Trump aggressively tried to pin America’s economic and national security problems on Clinton. But he found himself on the defensive for much of Monday’s 90-minute showdown.
He accused moderator Lester Holt of a left-leaning performance and going harder on him than Clinton, even floating the theory that organizers had intentionally given him a faulty microphone to set him up.
In a snap CNN poll of 521 voters, 62 percent judged that Clinton had won the debate against 27 percent for Trump, with most mainstream political analysts agreeing Clinton was the stronger performer.
But in a campaign that has consistently defied predictions from the political establishment, few can forecast for sure the impact on Americans’ vote on Nov. 8.
Clinton was thoroughly prepared in the debate, not only with detailed answers about her own policy proposals, but also sharp criticism of Trump’s business record, his past statements about women, and his false assertions that President Barack Obama may not have been born in the United States. She said his charges about Obama were part of his pattern of “racist behavior.”
The Democrat also blasted Trump for his refusal to release his tax returns, breaking with decades of presidential campaign tradition. She declared, “There’s something he’s hiding.”
Trump has said he can’t release his tax returns because he is being audited, though tax experts have said an audit is no barrier to making the information public. When Clinton suggested Trump’s refusal may be because he paid nothing in federal taxes, he interrupted to say, “That makes me smart.”
The televised face-off was the most anticipated moment in an election campaign that has been historic, convulsive and unpredictable. The candidates entered the debate locked in an exceedingly close race to become America’s 45th president, and while both had moments sure to enliven their core constituencies, it was unclear whether the event would dramatically change the trajectory of the race.
The debate was confrontational from the start, with Trump frequently trying to interrupt Clinton and speaking over her answers.
The centerpiece of Trump’s case against Clinton was that the former senator and secretary of state is little more than a career politician who has squandered opportunities to address the domestic and international problems she’s now pledging to tackle as president.
“She’s got experience,” he said, “but it’s bad experience.”
When Trump made a crack about Clinton taking time off the campaign trail to prepare for the debate, she turned it into a validation of her readiness for the White House.
“I think Donald just criticized me for preparing for this debate,” Clinton said. “And, yes, I did. And you know what else I prepared for? I prepared to be president. And I think that’s a good thing.”
Trump repeatedly insisted that he opposed the Iraq War before the 2003 US invasion, despite evidence to the contrary. Trump was asked in September 2002 whether he supported a potential Iraq invasion in an interview with radio personality Howard Stern. He responded: “Yeah, I guess so.”
Presented with the comment during the debate, Trump responded: “I said very lightly, I don’t know, maybe, who knows.”
The Republican also appeared to contradict himself on how he might use nuclear weapons if he’s elected president. He first said he “would not do first strike” but then said he couldn’t “take anything off the table.”
Clinton said Trump was too easily provoked to serve as commander in chief and could be quickly drawn into a war involving nuclear weapons.
Some frequently hot-button issues were barely mentioned during the intense debate. Illegal immigration and Trump’s promises of a border wall were not part of the conversation. And while Clinton took some questions on her private e-mail server, she was not grilled about her family’s foundation, Bill Clinton’s past infidelities or voter doubts about her trustworthiness.
Immediately after the debate, the two candidates jumped back onto the campaign trail.
Nate Silver, a respected election analyst at FiveThirtyEight.com, predicted a two to four percent bump in support for Clinton, after the most recent polls showed the race in a virtual dead heat.
“This debate was a tremendous opportunity for the voters to look at both candidates on the stage and determine who was prepared to be president of the United States,” Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said on CNN.
“For Hillary in particular, we thought this was a great opportunity for her to talk about the things that she’s going to do to make a real difference in people’s lives,” he said.
Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway praised Trump’s tone and demeanor, in particular toward the end for not bringing up Bill Clinton’s past sexual indiscretions, although he alluded to them.
“I was glad that he was polite and a gentleman to her, particularly at the end when he pulled the biggest punch of all,” Conway said.
Clinton has a massive organizational advantage, a bigger campaign war chest and a lead in the popular vote and is in a notably stronger position state-by-state.
But Trump weathered allegations of bigotry and sexism to triumph in a vicious Republican primary campaign, and now has a real shot at being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States on Jan. 20.
There are two more debates in the 2016 US presidential race, which could be pivotal in deciding whether Clinton will become the first woman president, or if Trump can pull off the greatest upset in US political history.

Source: Arab News