After the first debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump

[Eric J in MN]

...which of them will get a poll bump?

[leftofcool]

1. Hillary. Don the Con will go down in flames

[Hortensis]

2. Strangely, it could well be Trump. There will always be

at least 20-25% of the electorate who'll support anything conservative and another 20% or better looking for any excuse to, and if he can only exceed the disaster they will be fearing -- or just appear to conservatives to -- they'll be dancing around their living rooms shouting and punching the air over their "winner."

Hillary otoh will already have benefited coming in in comparison to the booberkin. Just remember how well W was portrayed as doing just for avoiding falling flat on his face (not being able to remember his official positions on issues was just a stumble), and how the media panned Gore for speaking in such boringly complete sentences.

[1StrongBlackMan]

3. I predict HRC, as ...

she walks off the stage exclaiming: "How do you debate someone that has no command of facts or reality?"

[oswaldactedalone]

4. If Don the Con

doesn't walk off the stage before it ends, he'll get a poll bump, because the average yahoo will like the bombast. They'll say I know where he stands and he's not politically correct.

[cosmicone]

5. There is the rule of low expectations

A dumb kid spending all the time on videogames can impress the hell out of people by getting a C.

A smart and studious kid getting straight As -- not so much.

[Socal31]

6. These are the 3 possible outcomes, not in order of probability:

1. Trump reveals himself to be a well-spoken genius, surprising the world as he sheds his life-long buffoon persona

2. He does nothing of note, and is praised for NOT:

3. Epic meltdown

[MyNameGoesHere]

7. I think that if Clinton slays him in the 1st debate

we will know at that moment that the election is over. Every election has that moment, when it is obvious it is over. I am hoping that will be ours

[grossproffit]

8. Donny is an awful debater. Hillary will chew him up & spit him out. He won't even know what hit him.

I can't wait.

[Eric J in MN]

9. Trump was good at attacking his opponents

...in the Republican debates.

[Stinky The Clown]

10. His handlers will have fucked with his ego and id so bad that he will fall on his ass in a debate

Pivot, Donnie Boy.

Act Presidential, Donnie Boy.

Don't shout so much, Donnie Boy.

Stand up straight, Donnie Boy.

Use a teleprompter, Donnie Boy.

Be yourself, Donnie Boy.

Now go out there and beat her pants off, Donnie Boy.

[DVRacer]

11. It could well be ol skunk head

The expectations will be so low for him and high for her.
If he moderately controls himself the media will play up how well he held his ground.
Hillary desperately needs to have a press conference well before hand or questions to her will be sharp due to lack of perceived openness.
And I could be wrong and she wipes the floor with his dumb ass and the media reports it that way.

[Native]

12. I have this sinking feeling there won't be a debate. I just can't see Trump getting the nom.