IN 1984, after a disastrous debate against Democrat Walter Mondale, White House advisers made one key change in strategy in the bid to get their man re-elected: “Let Ronald Reagan be Ronald Reagan.”
Senator Paul Laxalt, the chairman of Reagan’s re-election campaign, said the reason their man had done so poorly was because he “was absolutely smothered” by facts and figures: “He was brutalised by a briefing process that didn’t make sense.”
Reagan’s team had put him through six full dress rehearsals for the debate, bamboozling him with statistical arguments.
So they let Reagan be Reagan, and that November the Gipper become one of only two presidents to win 49 of the republic’s 50 states.
On Monday night, at Hofstra University in Long Island, New York, there was something of that philosophy in both campaigns.
“Let Donald Trump be Donald Trump,” the Republicans argued.
Even the smartest guys in the GOP are likely a little stumped at how The Donald has done.
Fights, scandals, abuse, lies, racism and jokes about the size of his penis; gaffes that would all have ended any other presidential campaign.
Yet Trump has dominated this race and could easily win the White House in November’s poll.
So for his first skirmish with Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump was Donald Trump.
While Clinton was preparing, Trump was out campaigning.
Hours ahead of the debate, while Clinton was cramming with senior advisers, Trump was simply wandering about Hofstra.
He mocked Clinton, saying she had “decided to stay home”.
“And that’s OK,” he added. “But I will tell you, I’ve been all over.”
The Trump at the debate was the Trump who absolutely destroyed his Republican rivals in the primaries.
It was the Trump who has attracted thousands to his cause, even if that cause is a little undefined.
But let Donald Trump be Donald Trump was also the philosophy of the Democrats. Clinton had done her homework. The gulf in knowledge between the two was huge, she knew more about Trump’s policies than he did.
“I think Donald just criticised me for preparing for this debate. 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.”
This was the closest Clinton came to a knockout blow, in a night where she managed a few standout moments.
Trump was left waffle, to talk nonsensically in a way that will have confused anyone watching.
He seemed to admit not paying his taxes, and paying his way out of a racism accusation. He praised Vladimir Putin, and seemed to suggest China should invade North Korea. Clinton just stood there, and let him tear himself down.
Before the debate there was much discussion about the different ways of measuring success for the candidates.
Clinton needed to come across as fit, trustworthy and genuine; to not smile too much, nor frown too much.
Trump just needed not to look like an idiot.
Trump failed to clear that bar.
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