Debate: The Sequel. Will it be better than the original?

Not many sequels have been as anticipated as tonight’s second meeting between the ‘attention’ grabbing Donald Trump and ‘leaky speeches’ Hillary Clinton. The first debate was a pretty amazing example of the student who her did her homework vs the bully wasn’t able to copy his lab partner.

There have been enough controversies in the last two weeks to cover a generation of election cycles as well - plus there was the short lived spin-off debate series of Vice Presidential debates. Well, they made the pilot, but it isn’t going to series.

That debate was terrible to watch since most of it consisted of the two men (especially Tim Kaine) interrupting each other. Overall, Kaine was too scripted and nerdy. Pence had what was billed as the harder job and he just shook his head and denied everything. I think if Kaine had mentioned Trump’s sniffing in the last debate Pence would have denied it.

As we saw afterwards Kaine was playing for the soundbites because he knew no one would actually watch the debate.

But that that doesn’t matter. Not after the last last 48 hours. Not after the Trump Tapes. Which in a way should be the least surprising surprise ever.

Cause what’s really surprising is that it’s taken this long for people to listen to what the man has been saying about women for at least 20 years. And now people realize? Now he’s getting consciously decoupled by loads of Republicans? Where was the outrage over building a wall, racially profiling an entire religion, attacks on the first amendment, saying his supporters who love guns should do something about his opponent and on and on and on?

Republicans though, especially the leadership of the party, have done this to themselves by not standing up to his rhetoric all along, and boyz gotta dance with the one you brought to the party.

And if Trump lashes out on live television at Hillary over Bill’s past? I don’t know who that serves, but it will complete the downward spiral of American politics.

I’ve always worried about Hillary’s baggage with Bill. While you can’t, and I don’t, blame her for Bill’s actions her standing and candidacy has always been put at risk by what he has done.

I think tonight, there is more pressure on her to thread the needle - can she give (finally) a vision of the future she wants to lead America towards - while at the same time addressing her own tarnishable legacy regarding the the women in Bill’s life? She is the candidate, but she has stuck by Bill. And that will matter to some voters.

The upshot of all this close examination of Donald’s and Bill’s horrible legacy towards women is that maybe the old-boy-locker-room is getting the pantsing it deserves.

Join me the 11th and 24th October at the Museum of Comedy where I’ll be talking Hillary and Trump. And Bernie for old time's sake. Details here Erich McElroy's (US) Electile Dysfunction.