Monday night’s first presidential debate of the 2016 election season provided perhaps the best direct evidence of the contrasts between the two candidates.
Those who attended a debate watching event at Saint Xavier University said they saw the clear distinction in policy and personality between Republican businessman Donald Trump and former Democratic Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
To one side is Trump, a firebrand whose unpredictable, often controversial nature led to some quick jabs Monday night.
“I think he had to avoid being really erratic,” Robert Shapiro, a Chicago-based attorney and adjunct professor at the Far South Side Roman Catholic university, said.
Shapiro said people expect that from Trump, but that doesn’t necessarily hurt him with his base. With the November election a little more than a month away, Trump’s struggle will be convincing certain groups of voters, including college-educated whites who typically vote Republican and white women, that he isn’t as wild and irrational as he comes across to some on TV, Shapiro said.
Clinton took the night on matters of substance, according to several in attendance inside Saint Xavier’s McGuire Hall.
“I think that Hillary is offering a lot of solutions,” Rachel Thomas, a 21-year-old Oak Lawn resident and student, said. She considers herself “middle of the road” and hasn’t yet decided who will get her vote for president.
About 150 people attended the viewing. Alderman Matt O’Shea, who helped students register to vote, opened up the event and led a short question-and-answer session for attendees, which turned quickly into an opportunity for people to express their views about the candidates.
Trump’s often colorful comments and jokes at Clinton’s expense drew the biggest laughs of the night, but it was clear the audience appreciated her retorts.
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Thomas said Trump seemed be more concerned with attacking Clinton and other politicians. During the debate, he frequently criticized policy decisions, especially when it comes to trade, made over the last 30 years.
“Trump just always seemed to point out the problems,” Thomas said.
That is a key part of Trump’s appeal, Shapiro said. Commentators continue to underestimate how much he is able to resonate with voters tired of “business-as-usual” politics.
“There’s a whole group of the electorate that feels something isn’t just quite right,” Shapiro said.
Trump comes across as an outsider who might shake things up, he added.
The clash of personalities might make for good television, but that doesn’t necessary mean either candidate is best for fixing the country’s problems, Samer Alhato said.
The 20-year-old Saint Xavier student from Worth said the bickering between Clinton and Trump was disappointing and worrisome.
“Politics should not be entertaining,” Alhato said.
Clinton is more qualified for the presidency, but that alone should be enough to not vote for Trump, he said.
Polling data indicates it’s a tight race, and Alhato believes it still could go either way.
“I’m putting my money down on (Clinton), but if Trump wins I won’t be shocked,” Alhato said.
Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
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