These three points were clear victories for the president, likely to cut through the noise and directly reach Americans in the last weeks of the election.
It might seem obvious, but in all the racket that follows a debate, the most important focus is how it affects the race, if at all. It was a solid debate, despite more questions geared toward former Vice President Joe Biden and against President Donald Trump, and with moderator Kristen Welker interrupting the president 24 times to Biden’s two, by Fox’s count. On the most important count, however, Trump won the debate hands down. Here’s three reasons why. As Welker attempted to move from energy to the next topic in the last half hour of the debate, Trump asked a pointed question: Trump: “Would he close down the oil industry? Would you close down the oil industry?” Biden: “I would transition from the oil industry, yes.” Trump: “Oh, that’s a big statement.” Biden: “That is a big statement, because I would stop–” Welker: “Why would you do that?” Biden: “Because the oil industry pollutes significantly.” Trump: “Oh, I see. That’s a big statement.” Having read this exchange and seen it, it’s worth a two-panel look. Watch Trump’s face as Biden attacks oil on the national stage. “That may be the biggest statement,” Trump said, savoring the moment as first part of the exchange came to a close. “In terms of business, that’s the biggest statement, because basically what he’s saying is he is going to destroy the oil industry… Will you remember that, Pennsylvania?” And he was right. Pennsylvania is a very important state to a Trump Electoral College win, and despite signs it has been trending more red, it is still very much a toss-up that could help sink a second term. Why, when so much of the country seems to be trending blue, is Pennsylvania going the other direction? In a word, energy. In 2008 and 2012, Philadelphia dominated the vote, coming out in support of the first black president. In 2016, rural voters eager to take part in the booming American energy economy helped propel Trump to the White House. That year, Obama’s final-day Philadelphia appeal fell short, though we saw him try again just this week because he knows it is crucial.
