{"id":24291,"date":"2016-10-20T13:38:47","date_gmt":"2016-10-20T20:38:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=24291"},"modified":"2016-10-20T13:38:47","modified_gmt":"2016-10-20T20:38:47","slug":"the-third-ring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2016\/10\/20\/the-third-ring\/","title":{"rendered":"The Third Ring"},"content":{"rendered":"

This years Presidential debates have been a three ring circus, and last night the third ring should certainly have sealed the deal for Hillary Clinton.  Although Trump had been well muzzled by his handlers, Clinton’s prodding and probing broke through that facade after half an hour.  By the end, she had reduced Trump to a red-faced, scowling, muttering fool.<\/font><\/p>\n

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\"1020debate\"<\/p>\n

In the third and final presidential debate<\/a>, Mrs. Clinton outmaneuvered Mr. Trump with a surprising new approach: his.<\/p>\n

Flipping the script, she turned herself into his relentless tormentor, condescending to him repeatedly and deploying some of his own trademark tactics against him.<\/p>\n

The relatively subdued and largely defanged Republican nominee who showed up onstage at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was a different figure from the candidate America has watched for the past 16 months.<\/p>\n

Mr. Trump was, for much of the night, oddly calm and composed. He minimized his name-calling. His interruptions were relatively rare for him.<\/p>\n

In a debate that his allies had predicted would represent 90 minutes of scorched-earth verbal warfare, Mr. Trump seemed deserted by his most bellicose instincts.<\/p>\n

He repeatedly gave up chances to respond to pointed taunts from Mrs. Clinton, who dominated the confrontation from its opening moments, needling and baiting him over and over…<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

From <NY Times<\/a>><\/font><\/p>\n

Here are three short video clips from Rachel Maddow<\/a>.  In the first she summarizes the debate, stressing his increasing agitation and the evenings bombshell. <\/font><\/p>\n