The First US Presidential Debate 

26 Sept 2016

With the crucial first debate just round the corner, one wonders how Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are preparing for this special event which, given the unprecedented level of animosity between them and the tight race, promises to be a make-or-break affair for both parties. 

In The O'Reilly Factor television show, conservative political pundit Bill O'Reilly interviewed and asked Mr Jay Townsend, the author of "10 Worst Mistakes Candidates Make" for any useful pointers for both candidates, especially the mistakes to avoid during the debate.

In line with the spirit of O'Reilly's "no spin zone", the good Mr Townsend volunteered the following advice:

For Hillary Clinton:

(1) Don't lie (again), especially not saying something now that contradicts what she said before.

(2) Don't show any sign of ill-health like coughing, fainting, stiffness, epileptic fit, short-circuiting, forgetfulness, physical weakness or, heaven forbid, actually collapsing on stage!

(3) Do not go blank when asked to articulate her reason for running for President. Up till now, nobody knows her reason!

For Donald Trump:

(1) Do not lose his temper, or else, all bets are off.

(2) Do not say or do anything that can give people even the slightest or remotest chance of interpreting it as being sexist, racist, misogynist, xenophobic, Islamophobic, etc (ya, in short, just being firmly in the Deplorable Basket).

(3) Do not be condescending towards Mrs Clinton. So, do not call Crooked Hillary crooked!

I hope that helps.