There were several moments in the debate where Hillary could have pounced and didn’t. Trump’s lack of specifics on health care, his confusion on the state of affairs in Syria, and his weak defense of his tax history. So why didn’t she? I can’t help but wonder if there was a strategy in place to take it easy on Trump and for several reasons:
1. Her chances of winning were already excellent before the debate. She didn’t need to do anything tonight to win this election. Even if she takes a hit over the email stuff, she’s not going to lose every swing state, which means she’s going to be president.
2. Okay, now she’s president — but what about the Congress? She’s seen the polling. At best, she’s got a 50-50 shot to have the Senate for two years. And it is just two years — take a look at the open seats in 2018. As for the House, it seems nearly impossible. And yet…
3. If Trump had a good debate (and I feel like he did, and she let him do it), consider the awkward state this leaves Republican candidates in. Joe Heck and Kelly Ayotte are dead in the water — their refusal to support Trump will cost them each 5-10% of his voters. This doesn’t happen if Hillary crushes him tonight and leaves him for dead. This debate ends all talk of replacing Trump, which means every Republican incumbent has to own him and whatever else comes out in the next few weeks. Anyone want to guess how often slumlord Fred Trump used the n-word in that house? Trump says it for sure, and someone has it on tape. Incumbents will either own it all and lose swing voters, or condemn Trump and lose some of his base. Either way, the Dems need a fired-up Trump out there until the end in order to win the Senate and keep the House on the table.
I’m not saying Hillary let him win tonight, because I don’t think he won. I’m just suggesting that she had the opportunity to deliver the killing blow tonight, and she didn’t do it because she wants to prop this guy up for another couple of rounds — just long enough so any ideas of replacing him on the ticket disappear. I may be wrong, but I think there are more Republicans who wish she had been tougher on him tonight than Democrats.