Millions of potential voters are expected to tune in tonight to watch Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton square-off face-to-face during the first presidential debate of 2016.
Trump and Clinton have spent the last few months on the campaign trail trying to convince voters why they are the better person to be our next Commander-in-chief. Brendan Steinhauser, a political strategist in Austin says when the candidates take the stage on Monday night, the past few months won’t matter.
“There is a chance that this debate becomes more of a UFC fight than anything else,” Steinhauser said. “I think most voters are looking for the opposite, they are looking for a substantive debate, they are looking to see who can lead the country moving forward.”
The two candidates are neck-and-neck in the polls. The most recent Washington Post/ABC News poll shows Clinton ahead of Trump by only 2 percent. Steinhauser says Monday’s debate could really set the two candidates apart.
“I think this is a unique debate where you have two pugilistic contenders who are ready for a fight,” Steinhauser said, “and they have a lot of contrast both on policy but also on personality.”
Steinhauser says Monday’s debate is not just about what the candidates say, but how they say it. And whoever comes out as the most “likeable” candidate, according to Steinhauser, will have a big upper-hand going forward.
“They both have high negative numbers, and so they are going to have to find a way to not only land a blow on their opponent, but to do it in a way that’s on ideas, that’s on policy, and not personal,” Steinhauser said. “Whoever comes out looking like a leader, looking like they can be Commander and chief, and they can focus on the issues of the day, I think that they will be the one that can win the debate and voters will respond positively to them.”
Steinhauser says Texas voters should keep an eye out for any talk about illegal immigration and border security. He says those are issues that directly impact Texans and will likely be front and center Monday night.
The debate kicks off at 8 p.m. CT at Hofstra University in New York.
