Do me a favor and watch this clip from “Die Hard”. For those who haven’t seen it in awhile (and what’s wrong with you? Go watch it again right now!), here’s the setup:
John McClane is in a very awkward position. Terrorist/Petty Thief/Murderer Hans Gruber has just called him on the walkie-talkie to tell him that “an old friend” wants to talk to him. McClane is at first concerned that they figured out Holly is his wife, and are going to use her against him. McClane witnessed Gruber flat-out shoot his wife’s boss in the head just a couple of hours earlier, so he knows that he isn’t fucking around.
A moment later, he’s both confused and relieved when the “old friend” turns out to be the asshole coke fiend Ellis, whom McClane had barely even met or even spoken to.
However, he also knows that Ellis knows Holly is his wife and that both Gruber and the police are listening, so he has to think very carefully about what he says and how he says it. It’s an extremely dicey, tense situation.
Got it?
OK, now, watch this clip from last night’s debate. Donald Trump has just spent two minutes not only trashing all 27 of our NATO allies as deadbeats (pretty rich coming from a guy who also brags about stiffing his own contractors, but OK), but following up by saying—on live international television, in front of an estimated 100 million viewers, that the United States has no obligation to support any of them in a time of crisis.
Hillary had a tricky job here. She’s also on live TV with the world watching, and her opponent has just committed a potential international diplomatic incident. Note not just her words, but her tone and demeanor:
“Let me start by saying, words matter. Words matter when you run for president. And they really matter when you are president. And I want to reassure our allies in Japan and South Korea and elsewhere that we have mutual defense treaties and we will honor them.
“It is essential that America's word be good. And so I know that this campaign has caused some questioning and worries on the part of many leaders across the globe. I've talked with a number of them. But I want to -- on behalf of myself, and I think on behalf of a majority of the American people, say that, you know, our word is good.”
I present to you Hillary Clinton, badass.