With an hour til tip-off, here’s how my money rides. The number of times Trump does the following ten things:
Sniffs the mic: 120+
Makes a tiny circle with his thumb and forefinger: 30+
References rigged elections: 20+
Notes Hillary’s lies: 15+
Notes Hillary’s corruption: 15+
Says “Crooked Hillary”: 12+
Lauds his business smarts: 12+
Speaks of a wall: 10+
Mentions Bill’s Chix: 6+
Reveals policy: 0*
*”It’s gonna be so great” is not a policy.
The number of times HRC does the following ten things:
Smiles disingenuously: 25+
Turns a positive moment into something unlikeable: 15+
Wears us down with wonky policy detail: 12+
Lets Trump have the floor to his own detriment: 12+
Overspeaks her time, to her detriment: 10+
Coughs: 8+
Coins or re-uses a corny slogan like “Trumped up, Trickle down”: 7+
Uses the slogan “Trumped up, Trickle down”: 3+
Arrives onstage wearing pantsuit: 1
Pleads the Fifth: 0*
*Liars only need the Fifth when under oath and Chris Wallace isn’t swearing the candidates in. (Nor is he moderating for facts).