Clinton was the first to needle her opponent in Monday night’s presidential debate, calling Donald Trump’s plan to close income inequality “trickle down economics all over again” and claiming that it resulted in the economic turndown of 2008 and 2009. She added, somewhat cheekily, “I call it Trumped-up trickle down.”
Clinton: I call Trump's tax plan "Trumped-up trickle down" https://t.co/iXIwDaIPem #Debates2016 https://t.co/3tfJBWpjAo
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) September 27, 2016
One of Clinton’s biggest potential pitfalls in the debates is to appear over-rehearsed and stilted. Trump has mocked her for taking time off of the campaign trail for debate practice, and has brushed off suggestions that he should prepare extensively, claiming he performs best when speaking off-the-cuff. If Clinton can deliver blows responding to Trump in real-time, at which she has been known to excel, she will be able to undercut Trump’s brash style. But she should leave the pre-prepared one-liners at home.