I haven't watch a Presidential debate since RWR or GHWB were POTUS. Between wishing "my guy" had responded "better", disliking "the other guy's" "BS", and wanting to take a cattle prod to most "Moderators", it's not good for my patience or BP. So take what follows with the block of salt whose size you think appropriate.
From what I understand, The SHREW didn't collapse. roll her eyes independently of each other, or leave a puddle on the platform. OTOH, Trump didn't respond like a raving maniac or collapse in despair - as DU-folk thought, or at least wished he would - in response to The SHREW's baiting or the "Moderator's" prodding, interrupting, and "fact-checking". It sounds as though both did well enough for their respective partisans to claim victory.
Looking forward, I think Trump will learn more from this debate than will/can The SHREW. She's more experienced, and has developed habitual tactics and responses. She'll adjust less. Trump has shown he can and does learn, and I think he'll adjust more, very possibly for the better.
In what way do debates matter? Frankly, not much here or on DU - places where members have largely made up their minds. Where it does matter is in the candidates defining themselves for undecideds and those barely on one or the other side of the fence. To the degree many of such have been influenced toward Trump by recent events and revelations, I don't think The SHREW did well enough to reverse the Trump-ward inclination.
I have a similar approach so perhaps my judgment is suspect too, but it's not worth my time to waste it on the charade. There are so few and so late I doubt they have much effect on things this time unless one candidate completely melts down.
The thing is this time, Hitlery needs to nuke him out of existence to reverse the trend, which has brought him up to even or better with her since August, making up a huge amount of ground.
She'll be so propped up with drugs and coaching that it brings Pink from 'The Wall' to mind, the haunting strains of 'Comfortably Numb' hanging in the air...
