Debate Scorecard: Previewing Presidential Performance

Experience tells us the most accurate predictor of future performance is past performance in similar situations. So debate stresses can crack the code on candidates' put-on personas, giving voters glimpses of how each would make decisions if elected to the most stressful job imaginable. For example:

Rigorous, private, intense debate preparation and rehearsal suggest as President Hillary Clinton will research, analyze, and study her options in cloistered consultation with trusted advisers. When time is ample, this will serve her well as decisions will be thoughtful and nuanced. When time is short, analysis paralysis may overextend the time it takes to decide and act. Yes, at least she will have thought it through, and will not have acted rashly. Once done deliberating, she's got her game plan ... yet reality comes with unexpected twists and turns. She may be slower to adapt to ground conditions and less able to improvise when needed. If elected, she'd benefit from close, trusted advisers who can pump out creativity and speed up decision-making when the clock is ticking, expediting the time it takes to go from analysis to action.

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