Hey kids, it pays to do your homework

Would he manage to behave himself? Could Donald Trump pull himself together and refrain from cursing or insulting foreigners, women, or Muslims for the 90-minute debate? Would he be able to come off as presidential?

Those were the questions permeating the media circus in the United States surrounding the first TV duel between Clinton and Trump. Never mind that it's tragic that the public discourse about the world's most important political office has stooped to such a level. But such are the questions of this campaign, where the matters up for discussion on the public stage are not political concepts and strategies, but rather the size of a man's hands and other extremities.

Verbal smoke bombs

So? Yes, he did more or less manage to behave. He didn't curse or say anything too outrageous about women or Muslims. But that didn't get him very far. On the contrary, the evening was proof that Trump has only managed to be so successful in recent months because his verbal smoke bombs have distracted us from his vacuousness. And yes, he has also been successful because many US media outlets have jumped over every stick he's held out in pursuit of attention, ratings, and money.

Clearly, his advisors have decided on an image change now in this decisive phase of the race. Ostensibly in order to bring on board the desperately needed traditional Republican voters who have so far refused to support a boor like Trump. But this strategy failed.

Laid bare before millions

In front of an audience of roughly 100 million people, Hillary Clinton laid bare her Republican challenger. Using irony and intelligence as well as humor, she showed that when Trump can't hide the emptiness of his rhetoric with insults and vulgarity, there's very little left. When faced with questions on foreign policy, terrorism and security - even on questions about the economy and tax policy - Trump had nothing more to draw on than self-referential phrases full of contradictions that amounted to empty assertions.

For anyone watching this first TV debate with an open mind, Donald Trump lost. Not moderately, but bombastically. As bombastic as his campaign promises. And Hillary Clinton proved once again just how hard she is prepared to work, and how much she respects the office of president.

In a world where citizens decide who they're going to vote for based on facts and political arguments, this debate can leave no doubt that Donald Trump is simply not worthy of being President Obama's successor.

Echoes of their own convictions

But can the same be said about a society where, thanks to their social networks, more and more people exist in a small parallel universe where all they hear are echoes of their own convictions? Will the debate be able to pierce that universe? It's still too early to write Trump off. There will be more debates and more appearances where Clinton could make a mistake that those social networks will gleefully pounce on.

But today, it's clear that she is the decisive winner of this debate. Trump is teetering. Politicians who have nothing other than the shine of their supposed success often struggle when the spotlight switches off. And that's exactly what Hillary Clinton did on Monday night, with a smile on her lips.

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