For a moment, let's lay aside opinions on policy, ideals or any kind of politics, and simply look at the two candidates from a purely apolitical stance as candidates in a debate.
Whatever our opinions of her as a person or a politician, Hillary Clinton's performance in the debates was masterful. She was formidable in her composure and her preparation and her execution of the plan to goad her opponent into self destruction worked to perfection.
But there is something even more powerful that happened here. Something that touched me personally.
She defeated the bully.
Donald Trump stormed through the primaries, seizing the nomination and control of the stunned Republican Party by being the biggest bully on the playground. His opponents, used to being the alphas, the ones pushing others around were swept aside, they were used to being big fish, he was the shark and they had no answer, by the time they realised what was happening it was too late, their attempts to attack back were met with more furious cpunter attacks by a man prepared to go harder and further, a man unconcerned with boundaries, decency or fair play. He had no hesitation in fighting harder and dirtier than they were. and any response they had just seemed weak and desperate. they were done, their campaigns and their party shattered, dazed and reeling.
Then he moved on to the presidential campaign. In the media back and forth he was reasonably successful, he's a master at mobilizing his supporters, sparking fires on social media, he's loud, brash and a showman, to him any press is good press, the conversation was all about him, the campaign, all about him. He effectively fired his barbs at Hillary from a distance, his strategy of schoolyard name calling stuck. every opponent had a name; lyin' Ted Cruz, Little Marco Rubio, Low Energy Jeb Bush, Crazy Bernie Sanders and of course, Crooked Hillary Clinton. it's bullying 101. the nickname takes power from the victim, allows the bully to dictate their identity, it belittles and dehumanises, people see the label, not the person.
Despite the flaws in his campaign, he controlled the narrative and he closed the gap so that by the time of the first debate they were less than 2 points apart. Basically level.
But then he came face to face with Hillary Clinton.
In case you missed the memo, Clonton is a woman. She's a woman who spent her career in fields dominated by men, by 'alpha males' and old boys club attitudes and she's risen to the top.
You can be pretty certain she's faced a few bullies in her time. And in the debates it showed. Cruz, Bush, and Rubio may not have been shell shocked and ill prepared, but she has faced and dealt with bad behaviour from stronger, smarter men than Trump all her life, just look at her husband!
Which brings me to my point.
This is not a post about the politics. this is a post about bullying. If you have ever been bullied, as I have, Hillary Clinton's performance was important. She stood up and took every shot he fired, was unfazed and unrattled, and she dismantled the bully. It was surgical, it was calculated,
-She was unflappable in face of his attacks. bullies need reaction, they need to see they're getting to their victim.
-She was confident in herself. A bully thrives on undermining his victim's sense of self worth.
-She was measured in her responses, sure it seems bland at times but bullies need ammunition, she gave him none which left him scaping the extremes, forced to use conspiracy theories and lies to attack her.
-She ignored his attempts to intimidate. when he was stalking and looming behind her on the stage, she just continued as normal and as a result the bully looked awkward and creepy rather than strong and imposing.
-She goaded him carefully and strategically. From calling him 'Donald' to carefully prepared barbs, she knew that he couldn't resist responding to anything that suggested he wasn't the strongest person in the room. But it was careful and often subtle and patient so his responses were the story, not her attacks.
Bullying comes from a place of deep insecurity, the need to put others down to appear strong displays fundamental weakness.
Clinton exploited this masterfully and Trump walked into every trap she set for him.
Her 'shimmy' and "wooo, ok!" at the end of the first debate after he ranted and frothed about his great temperment was combined with her most direct attack, the Ms America comments. It was the moment where the bully had lost contol of the relationship. the power dynamic had firmly shifted and from then he was flailing wildly, every attack he made just made him loom sad and desperate as she smiled and without a word told the world, 'I'm smarter, stronger and bigger than him'.
It was masterful.
and to anyone who's ever been bullied, anyone who's been labeled, belittled, put down or intimidated,
the bully was defeated.
it was glorious, it was cathartic, it was...
it was heroic.
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