The debate is tonight. Forget everything you know about the election so far because it is about to change. Clinton is going into this with a decent, but not commanding lead so it’s up to Trump to reverse things.

Can he? Will he try to do something big and bold? Or will he go with what got him here, more or less constantly hitting even if the punches are pretty low?

I’m going to argue that it doesn’t matter. This is Clinton’s election to win, and we’ll see why very shortly. If she can erase some of the negativity surrounding her simply by being in charge and very Presidential she can ice this thing. That’s what counts.

The last time Clinton and Trump got together was at his wedding.

First of all, I have to confess that I am unlikely to watch the debate. I simply cannot stand listening to Trump because I feel a need to yell out fact-checking on him – as if anyone is listening.   It’s slightly more psychotic and pointless than arguing with people on facebook.  So I will give you my live blog of the debate, one day ahead of it actually occurring.

Live blog of the Presidential Debate (all times CST)

8:01 Here we go!
8:06 He didn’t really just say that, did he?
8:08 First of all, Mexican undocumented immigration is down almost 2 million and second, when states tried to clamp down it only caused havoc. For example, in Georgia they
8:12 I can’t believe he said that! What a
8:13 NICE! She really spanked him there! If only Bush or Rubio had put him in his place like that
8:16 You have to be kidding me!
8:19 Here he goes again! Third of all, there will be a net worker shortage in the next few years and we will be begging for people to come from all over the world who
8:22 Yeah, sure, go ahead and destroy our economy and theirs. Makes a lot of sense. NOT!
8:25 Thank you, Hillary! Way to go!
8:29 This is ridiculous!!! I am so sick of this BS !!!

The last cycle of debates was a cage match. The alpha male won.

After the last one, I threw something at the teevee and it is now a smoldering heap of glass and plastic. So that would be how the live blog ends. Do you see why I don’t want to watch it? This could get expensive.

But that is what we are counting on. Where the contest to see who was the alpha male fell apart in the Republican free-form debates, this one should be different. No one can take on a bully quite like Mom can. Clinton will have more time in the staid one-on-one setting to do just that, meaning that Trump will be at a disadvantage if he really tries to lash out as he has in the past.

What if Trump tries to look very in control and presidential? I think that is his best strategy, frankly, but I don’t know if it’s in him to maintain it for 90 minutes. If he can, this thing might tighten.

“I got this.”

Then again, Clinton can and should look very presidential. Her health concerns should melt just by her being there and looking good, so that will help. She will be armed with many facts and details that will answer the questions well. It’s important that she appear to be in charge without seeming too cold or too smarmy, so it’s still a difficult task. But she is up to it.

What both of them are fighting for, strangely enough, is the younger vote. It is entirely possible that by burning down the whole stage and making both of them look like fools Trump could claim an advantage. Currently, about 22% of Millenials are going for either Johnson or Stein, and the last thing Trump needs is for Clinton to win them over. They probably won’t be watching in large numbers, but you can bet they’ll see highlights later. Convincing more of them that Clinton is a lost cause may be an interesting strategy.

From 4 years ago. Things always mix up a bit.

But I don’t see that happening. I see a fairly normal debate with Trump eventually being hisself and getting smacked around for it in ways he isn’t used to.

Will the debate be some kind of fun? I doubt it. There is a lot to talk about, for sure, but the odds that anything based in reality will get any kind of quality time is pretty low.

Will the debate be worth watching? Again, it’s how it plays out in teeny little clips stripped of context that will probably matter the most. Anyone watching it live may easily get the wrong idea.

I won’t watch it. It’s too frustrating and too … well, too Trumpy for me. If you do watch it, please have some kind of fun and think of what I’d be shouting. It saves me a lot of time and aggravation. Thank you.