The Second Debate: Trump's "Dark Soul"

He was a barely controlled mix of rage, incoherence and misogyny. He lacked contrition for and doubled down on his "locker room talk" dismissal of his admission of sexual assault from last Friday's tape, and trotted out Bill Clinton's past peccadillos. He badgered the moderators and ignored the questions and launched into rambling and disjointed rants against Clinton's e-mails, ISIS, tax avoidance, etc. sometimes in the same response. He stalked Secretary Clinton as she calmly responded to audience questions, like a large orange hulk glowering in the background. He reached a low when he suggested that, if elected, he'd put Clinton in jail, something done in banana republics and Russia. In other words, he played to his angry base and no one else.

Here are other reactions to last night's desperation performance by neo-fascist sociopath Donald "Rump" Trump:

"Throughout the 100-minute-long face-off, Trump did not change his style. He was combative, angry, and mean, as he stalked about the stage during the town hall-style event. He said that were he to win the White House, he would prosecute Clinton and promised to toss her in jail. This was throwing a blood-dripping bone to his "lock her up" base. Were this anything like a normal election, this Trump vow—which undermines democratic rule—would be the screaming headline out of the debate. This year, it's just another thing Trump said."-- David Corn, Mother Jones

"The night was an hour and a half of Trump’s unfettered id, spilling out in sex-obsessed suggestions and naked threats. Trump lobbed every hit Breitbart News and far-right conspiracy theorists could have dreamed of. This election is now a referendum on whether that style of politics works." -- Betsy Woodruff, Daily Beast

"Let me repeat, the GOP nominee threatened to jail his election opponent if he wins the presidency. This is banana republic talk. Or Putin talk. Clinton, as usual, exhibited calm, remained on topic, connected warmly with individual questioners in the audience, and gave real and as comprehensive of answers as two minutes allowed (although she took a serious misstep with her claim that the U.S. is now “energy independent”). Not when we’re still importing 9 million barrels of oil a day." -- Meteor Blades, Daily Kos

Post-debate polling showed Clinton had clearly won, with her calm demeanor and knowledge of the subject matter. CNN's poll indicated that she won 57 to 34. The debate may have changed some minds who were wavering to support Secretary Clinton, given Rump's belligerence and refusal to acknowledge that Friday's tape had him admitting to sexual assault, something Rethug politicians were demanding that he do. The next few days will tell the tale.

BONUS: It looks like scummy celebrity brown-noser and co-host of the Today Show Billy Bush was suspended by NBC, following his eager participation in the lewd talk from Friday's tape. Social media has been on fire with demands that Bush be shown the door. Another Bush victim of Rump. Bwahahaha.