First Presidential Debate Wallpaper: PAYBACK

APF presents 'PAYBACK':

Presidential Debate I. Hofstra University (Hempstead, NY)

There's an adage in combat sports, "Styles make fights". Not unlike Rock–Paper–Scissors, attributes become advantages or impediments depending on what they're matched with. Trump's striking VS Clinton's resilience. His passion VS her poise. The Unorthodox VS the Seasoned. Business Outsider VS Political Insider. Reflex VS Preparedness. In the upcoming Presidential Debate, we'll finally see what shakes out from the "Styles Clash" between Republican Nominee Donald Trump and Democratic stalwart Hillary Clinton.

In the inaugural episode of the 'Race to the White House' podcast, Associate Professor Brendon O'Connor summarises the competing styles and why It's difficult to predict how it'll go down.

Race to the White House - Episode 1
BRENDON O'CONNOR: (18m 53s) There's two ways of approaching Politics. One way is to be very policy-oriented, which forces you to think about process and costings... and there's another way of seeing Politics as a symbolic business. That you're about making people feel good about themselves, that politics is very therapeutic. That you talk about America being a great place or making America great again. You talk about things that are to some extent fantastical, like "Change" or putting up a wall between United States and Mexico. And there's no real possibility that you could bring about a process really to get these things into action. They're about reassuring Americans, I like to call it Public Self-Help talk. They're about soothing people and saying that everything's going to be OK. We're still going to be a great or exceptional nation. Politics has gone along that path, every election in America since the 1970's. It's just gone along more and more in that regard.

Trump in some ways is the extreme end of that Therapeutic Politics that really overpromises on a sense of something that is illusionary, something that is a fantasy but its gonna soothe the American public. That is gonna sound reassuring or different.
Where Hillary Clinton is a throwback in some regards. She's a Policy wonk. She's someone where her clear strengths are when she talks about details and process and so you have quite the contrast...

How you campaign against Donald Trump as Hillary Clinton is very challenging and when you debate him as we'll see in the coming weeks is even more challenging because you're speaking a totally different language. You're not working on the same assumptions. You're not attempting to engage in Politics in the same way.

A strangely overlooked aspect of the upcoming showdown is the shared history between the Clintons and Trump. Whilst photos and stories surface about Trump's cordial relationship with Bill and Hillary, this history has been overshadowed by the polarised rhetoric of Election season. The Clinton's have been such an enduring force in American Politics that although they've become institutional punching bags for the masses, they've also calcified into allies amongst the elite. Hillary released an Ad quoting Donald Trump's praise for her before they were pitted as opponents.

You can peruse Trump's Twitter timeline for a trail of his enemies, anyone who's wronged him gets mentioned and pilloried. In person however, he remains affable and conciliatory. Trump and Jeb chummily low-fived despite relentless attacks in the Debates. Though he launched his campaign with contentious rhetoric towards Mexico, Trump was gracious towards Mexican President Nieto during their face-to-face. Trump employed a winning defense during the GOP Primary, reversing his coziness with Hillary into a spiel about Business buying Political access. Everything's fair game when you're selling a fight. It'll be interesting to see how real the bad blood is when they finally step in the ring.

Best friends, Bitter enemies:
Donald Trump & Hillary Clinton. Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens

Watch how Wrestling sells a feud between former best friends, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. The shared history heightens the drama and raises the stakes for their match. Their intimate knowledge of each other offers the possibility of deeper cuts and tangled motivations. In the Wrestling example we're keenly aware of the theatre in repurposing their relationship into a compelling feud. I wonder how much we'll sense from Hillary and Donald's friendship once they finally clash.

VIDEO: NXT Champion Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens tell their history

Mirroring the showdowns between Sami and Kevin. I'll be making Presidential Debate Wallpapers using the WWE PPV timeline, starting with 'PAYBACK'.

Update:
After Trump rival and Businessman, Mark Cuban tweeted he had front row seats for the First Presidential Debate. Trump, in true heel fashion threatened to put Gennifer Flowers alongside him. Flowers had an affair with Former President Bill Clinton whilst he was Governor of Arkansas.

Gennifer Flowers and Mark Cuban ringside at #HofDebate16

Update: Gennifer Flowers won't be attending the Debate. Trump's guests include a Benghazi attack survivor and Gold Star mother among others.