For a candidate who had just emerged from the most unpleasant and caustic debate in US presidential history, Hillary Clinton managed to convey a remarkably upbeat and relaxed impression standing in the aisle of her plane as it taxied to the runway in St Louis.
Even before she came back to speak to the media, her raucous laugh could be heard from the front of her 737 jet as reporters craned their necks to get a view of the former secretary of state conferring with aides and her husband.
After waving theatrically at the press down an aisle festooned with “stronger together” posters, she walked back just before take-off to declare she was feeling “absolutely great” and that she wanted a quick departure so drinks could be served.
Asked about shots of Donald Trump looming ominously behind her during some parts of the debate, she said: “he was very present”, before attacking the Republican candidate’s “avalanche of absolute falsehoods”.
The Clinton camp’s confidence during the flight back to New York from St Louis on Sunday night rested in part on favourable poll readings following the debate. But they also hinged on the notion that Mr Trump had been facing a more daunting task going into the debate – the need to transform the campaign with a knockout performance amid uproar over his demeaning comments about women.
‘Overwhelmingly negative’
Robby Mook, Mrs Clinton’s campaign manager, argued that the onus had been on Mr Trump to “completely change the dynamics of this race” and that he had failed to do so. He added that Mr Trump had come across as “overwhelmingly negative” – something that would also damage him with the electorate, and that he had shown a feeble grasp of the facts when challenged over specific policies.
Notwithstanding that bullish reading, there was no mistaking the improvement in Mr Trump’s performance compared with the first debate. While Mrs Clinton displayed her characteristic mastery of policy detail, Mr Trump landed more punches.
Mrs Clinton’s plan going into the debate had been to spend more time setting out a policy-based case directly to voters who may be wavering following Mr Trump’s fumbles. But aides had less to say in advance about how they would handle an attack over Bill Clinton’s infidelities.
It remains to be seen whether Mrs Clinton’s command of policy details proved more compelling to television viewers than Mr Trump’s hard-hitting personal attacks.
While Mr Trump attempts to rebuild his campaign, Mrs Clinton’s attention is now focusing back on visits to battleground states with voter registration deadlines just a few days away.
Mr Mook said her priority was on registration efforts in Michigan, Ohio and Florida. After that her efforts will pivot to early voting states such as Florida, North Carolina and Minnesota. “That is going to be her overwhelming priority moving forward in the race,” he said.
The day had started on an oddly festive note on the Clinton plane, as flight attendants came round with trays of bellini cocktails, incongruously accompanied by plates of doughnuts. As they landed in New York at about 1.40am yesterday, staffers clearly felt they had real grounds to celebrate.
But Mr Trump’s rare praise for Mrs Clinton at the end of the debate – that she never quits – can equally be applied to him. As he showed throughout the debate, Mr Trump has lost none of his fight. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016
