PPI - Radically Pragmatic
  • Donate
Skip to content
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Locations
    • Careers
  • People
  • Projects
  • Our Work
  • Events
  • Donate

Our Work

Marshall for The Hill: Clinton outshines Trump, but needs knockout

  • September 27, 2016
  • Will Marshall

The biggest asset GOP nominee Donald Trump brings to the presidential race is not his alleged business acumen — which more and more looks like an elaborate con — but his showmanship. So it was a bit surprising to watch Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton consistently skewer and dominate the reality-TV star in last night’s debate.

The confrontation mostly confirmed what we already knew about the two candidates, but it was the first opportunity to see them perform side-by-side — and Trump suffered from the comparison. Clinton was poised, confident and briskly in command of the facts; Trump blustered repetitively, was easily put on the defensive and his free-association ranting — such as his Sid Blumenthal excursion — was often too scatterbrained for anyone but political junkies to follow.

The juxtaposition highlighted once more that Trump hasn’t bothered to bone-up on the complex and knotty issues he’d confront as president. The White House is no place for winging it, yet he appears to lack the mental discipline to prepare himself to succeed in world’s toughest job. Are U.S. voters really so desperate for change that they would entrust a rank amateur like Trump with their highest office? This is the crux of the choice voters face in November.

Continue Reading at The Hill.

Related Work

Op-Ed  |  April 10, 2026

Marshall for The Hill: Trump Pays the Price for Making America an Unreliable Ally

  • Will Marshall
Op-Ed  |  April 7, 2026

Johnson for The Dispatch: Affordability Theater Is a Band-Aid, Not a Cure

  • Jeremiah Johnson
Press Release  |  April 2, 2026

PPI Statement on the Firing of Attorney General Pam Bondi

  • Will Marshall
In the News  |  March 31, 2026

Marshall in The New York Times: It’s Not Going to Get Any Easier for Democrats After Trump

  • Will Marshall
Op-Ed  |  March 27, 2026

Marshall for The Hill: Bashing Billionaires Isn’t Helping Progressives Win the Working Class

  • Will Marshall
Op-Ed  |  March 13, 2026

Marshall for The Hill: Both Trump and Progressives Are Foggy on Iran

  • Will Marshall
  • Never miss an update:

  • Subscribe to our newsletter
PPI Logo
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Donate
  • Careers
  • © 2026 Progressive Policy Institute. All Rights Reserved.
  • |
  • Privacy Policy
  • |
  • Privacy Settings