Posted: March 24th, 2023

Leadership Lessons Learnt During the Clinton Vs. Trump Debate

Clinton Vs. Trump

During the interaction between Clinton and Trump during the presidential debate, some lessons were derived, particularly concerning their leadership skills and ability to be US President. The two exchanged ideas and opinions on how America should be governed by outlining their priorities if elected President (Druckman et al. 76). Each candidate was on a charm offensive to win support owing to the fact that audience constituted a great voting bloc.

Therefore, every statement uttered by the two candidates counted towards their suitability for the top job. It was obvious that the candidates were campaigning for president throughout the debate. The first lesson I learned is that each Presidential candidate had a different perception of the United States. Their arguments and disagreement emanated from the fact that they were not of the same view regarding the United States. Whereas Clinton affirmed her belief in the aspect of inclusiveness as an American philosophy where people of all kinds of perceptions, orientation, and cultural leanings are accepted, Trump perceives America as a country for an elite cultural group and a social class where certain perceptions and ideas are not acceptable. Therefore, both candidates based their arguments according to the America they envisaged.

The other lesson I learned was that Trump and Clinton mainly differ on their policies; however, both candidates have American interests at heart. I realized the two have no direct preference since their parties sponsor most of the policies. Whereas the Republican Party is conservative, the Democrats are liberal (Michae 67). Therefore, Trump represents the ideas of conservatives, while Clinton exemplifies the ideas of the liberals. Hence, the views respected by the candidates are not necessarily personal but respect their respective party ideology,

Who Appears as a Great Man/Woman?

Hillary Clinton emerged as a great woman of the debate based on how she articulated herself. Throughout the debate, Clinton was consistent and focused on her policies for a better America. Even when they exchanged words with Trump, it was obvious that Clinton was challenging what she did not approve. She was more articulate and convincing in the sense that she explained her points and elaborated the underlying concepts. It was evident what Clinton was saying since she was categorical about what she believed in and explained everything. Trump trailed because he was more argumentative and less articulate.

Although Trump stood up for the conservative ideals, his mistakes deducted merits from his performance. Trump trailed Clinton based on the presentation of points as well as appearing in the audience. The audience was keener on policies than supremacy battles (Campus 49). Trump failed to convince the audience that he was the best for the top job. Clinton’s views during the debate resonated with the expectations of most Americans who want a moderate resident with experience to tackle their issues. Trump seems to be a hardliner with very conservative views that are not relevant to today’s society. In essence, Trump was perceived as holding very extreme views that are not necessarily relevant to the lives of ordinary Americans.

Role of the Audience

The audience influenced the performance of the speakers since they set the tempo of the debate. The expectations of the audience were very important in the sense that they cheered the candidate articulating the points they expected. As such, Clinton is perceived to have performed well having great experience in public service. Clinton understood the audience very well and knew how to take advantage of their energy. The audience was merciless to the candidate speaking what they did not approve; hence, they jeered and chanted them down. In that aspect, it was clear that they expected specific points and policies from the speakers. The audience was very active, aggressive, and part of the debate. The crowds had not just participated or listened to the speakers, but also influenced the views and attitude of the speakers.

The Aspect of Dead Wood with the Audience

The audience was not dead wood because they participated fully in the debate by setting the tempo of the arguments. In fact, the audience influenced the course of the debate more than the speakers since they were encouraging the speakers to focus in certain areas than others. The audience was very particular about their expectations and concentrated on ensuring that the speakers tore the line. In addition, the audience was very vibrant and played an important role in shaping the arguments of the debate (Michae 24). An aggressive audience often sets the tone of the speakers through their response to what the speakers say. In this case, they supported what they liked and turned down what laws considered unsuitable.

Aggressive, Alpha Leader, or a Receptive Ocean-like Leader

As it is evident from the debate between Clinton and Trump, both speakers were aggressive since that is one of the most important qualities of an American President. However, Clinton was more assertive and confident about her policies, views, and vision for America compared to Trump who was extreme in his arguments.

Works Cited

Campus Donatella. Women Political Leaders and the Media. Hoboken: Palgrave Macmillan,          2013.

Druckman, James., Green, Donald, and Kuklinski, James. Cambridge Handbook of

Experimental Political Science. New York: Cambridge University Press. 2011.

Michael Bang Petersen. The Evolutionary Psychology of Mass Politics. In Roberts, S. C.    (2011). Roberts, S. Craig, ed. Applied Evolutionary Psychology. Thousand Oaks:         Oxford University Press.