At the “First Antagonistic Debate”
Like a hundred million others last night, we sat in front of our television and watched what the New York Times is calling “the antagonistic first debate.” We ate tostados and apple pie (any symbolism, purposeful.) We cringed and whooped and gasped through ninety minutes of same-old, same-old and thought glumly about our future. Certainly, there was nothing inspiring about what we heard. Quite the opposite.
Bookstore Display in Quebec City Last Week
As I often do in these situations, I wondered what my forebears would have thought – especially my grandparents who sat in the same room almost a century ago reading the news of the ‘Great War’ in the weekly county paper — long before their first radio or the possibility of television. What would they have made of the exchange between candidates for our presidency? Has there ever been anything quite as embarrassing, scary, and downright laughable in the name of the good ol’ USA?
I also wondered what my friends and relatives abroad might be thinking and felt the need to contact them and say… what? I wish I could offer words of reassurance but… which? Or maybe I wish that they could offer me a perspective that would… calm my angst?
My take-away visual impression was of Secretary Clinton smiling indulgently time-after-time as Mr. Trump spoke in increasingly agitated tones. She reminded me of a bemused parent watching the outrageous antics of a recalcitrant child – astonished, indignant, and waiting until this, too, would pass.
All-in-all it was an evening to forget. I hope we can.
And we get to do it twice more. Was supposed to have been the American most self-medicated debate in history. I am no longer a huge fan of Hillary (we were eight years ago), but the toddler needs to be sent to bed with no dinner.