Following the first presidential debate on September 26, Kimberly Moffitt was a guest on WYPR’s Midday program and WEAA’s The Marc Steiner Show to provide analysis and outline what the candidates need to do going forward to sway voters.

On WYPR, Moffitt, an associate professor of American studies, joined Liz Copeland, founder of the Urban Conservative project, and talked about how the tone and content of the debate changed after the first thirty minutes and offered her perspective on the strategy behind Hillary Clinton’s approach.

“This was not hands down a clear win for Hillary Clinton, but I do believe that she performed better than Donald Trump when I look at the entire 90 minutes,” explained Moffitt. “What I do think was different and savvy for her to do this time versus what I’ve seen her do in other settings…is that she decided not to play Trump’s game.”

Moffitt also said she thinks at this stage in the campaign, the candidates didn’t do much to sway voters’ opinions during the first debate. “I think folks are exactly where they were when they started this debate,” she explained.

On The Marc Steiner Show, Moffitt joined Richard Vatz, professor of rhetoric and communication at Towson University, and Mark Green, host of the nationally syndicated radio show Both Sides Now, to cover a range of issues during the debate. Among them, Moffitt commented on the moderating style of Lester Holt and the strategies that both candidates used to attempt to appeal to undecided voters.

To listen to the complete segments, click below.

Big takeaways from the presidential debate (WYPR’s Midday) 
Election roundtable: First debate (The Marc Steiner Show) 

Image: Kimberly Moffitt in her office. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.