Trump VS Hillary: Round 1

After the first debate between Hillary and Trump, the debate analysis from the media is unsurprising. Trumpsters say he did well, and “held back,” that next debate he’ll really dig into her. Clinton supporters (AKA Trump haters, as not many actually support the secretary) claim she was poised, healthy, and actually alive with a pulse. They even claim she wasn’t a robot. I concur, hesitantly. The last third of the media, who either dislike both candidates or are decently objective, believe that Trump won the first 30 to 45 minutes of the debate, while Clinton won the remainder. Many ideas have been analyzed, including the idea that Trump is used to being on the debate stage with 17 people, and the 1-on-1 style debates fare differently. Political pundits further discussed the fact that Hillary was well prepared, to the point of sounding robotic, while Trump was completely unprepared, making him look less stable.

But they all missed one major point. A point so HUUUUGGEE that it completely neutralizes all other analysis. A point that, once discovered, explains why many Americans know in their minds that Trump lost, but in their hearts they felt it a victory for The Orange One. It’s the difference between facts and feelings, between objective fact and subjective emotion. This overlooked and under-analyzed fact is this:

Trump is not a politician.

Sounds obvious. But take a closer look.

Trump not being a politician means that he’s playing on Hillary’s home turf. As an example, in high school, a group of friends and I were hanging out. Half of us were football players, half baseball players. The baseball players were talking trash, saying they could “pancake” us if we went head to head. So, the baseball players got their biggest, baddest dude (“Troy”), and the football players got their hero (“Joe”). Now, if they tied, the baseball players would never stop bragging, because football is Joe’s powerhouse. He’s expected to win. So nothing other than an utter, bone-crunching pancake by Joe would suffice. Luckily, when the two put on pads and helmets and lined up a few yards apart, Joe knocked Troy a few yards back an onto his rear, while Troy had difficulty getting to his feet. Utter destruction. Nothing short of that would do.

The same is true with Trump and Hillary. Hillary, politics being her wheelhouse, must completely and utterly dismantle Trump. She must knock him on his rear, and laugh at him while he staggers to his feet.  But she didn’t.

Let us imagine Trump as former NFL star Marshawn Lynch. Both are polarizing figures, everyone has an opinion on these men, they both have an aura and mystique about them, but we must respect their mastery of their craft. Whether it’s Lynch with the ball, or Trump with real estate or on reality TV, their skill set is obvious, whether you love them or hate them. Let us imagine Hillary as Kobe. Both legends in their respective arenas, as Hillary is a masterful politician. This does not mean she has been beneficial for the American public; rather that she has mastered money, power, and influence and used it to remain relevant. Plus, both have a few scandals in their past. If Kobe and Marshawn Lynch were to play a 1-on-1 game of basketball, and we were forced to bet money on who would win, most would gamble on Kobe. Both are athletes, both are legends in their respective sports, but when Lynch walks into Kobe’s house to play Kobe’s game, we expect Kobe to blow Lynch out of the water. 10-2, 10-3 would be acceptable scores. If Lynch loses 10-8, although he lost, he would not only have gained respect, but some would walk away thinking that he had won a moral victory, or an emotional victory. Yes, he didn’t “win,” but he “won,” similar to how Bernie Sanders didn’t “win” the democratic primary, but “won” in the sense that he gained influence, popularity, and stoked passions among the American left.

Trump lost 10-8 to Hillary. Yes, this is a loss. But he played Hillary’s game, a game in which she’s been playing for 30 years, on her home court, in front of a home crowd, with a “hometown referee” (Lester Holt, the moderator).

Trump lost that debate. I agree with many in the political realm who believe that Trump won the first 30 to 45 minutes of the debate, then Hillary got under his skin and shook him up, taking the ultimate victory during the last 45 to 60 minutes.  

But there’s more to the story. Lynch played Kobe in basketball and proved competitive. Must be a quick learner, an athlete. Trump must be a quick learner, too. He’s been a politician for less than 4% of the time that Hillary has been one. Imagine if Hillary entered into real estate or reality TV, without insider knowledge (see her cattle futures scandal), and attempted to compete with The Donald. He would crush her. Knock her back 3 yards on her rear; she would stumble trying to regain her footing as if she were walking to her van on a scorching hot 77 degree afternoon in New York. He would crush her 10-2, and she only scored because he gave her a free shot.

All in all, it was a loss for Trump. Was it a moral victory? A “feelings” victory? An “emotional” victory? An “image” victory?

Trump versus Hillary round two. October 9th. We’ll see if he really is a quick learner.

This election cycle is like a mental tug-of-war. Or, I could be going crazy here. Definitely a possibility.

Either way, I’m having fun. Hope you are, too.

PS: I bet Marshawn Lynch wouldn’t exactly be pleased with the idea of being compared to Trump. But I love Beastmode, fellow Golden Bear!!

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