‘Can It Really Get Any Worse?’

We asked our readers what they thought of the circus that was Sunday night’s debate.

Fifty percent of readers thought it was worse than the first debate. Twenty-five percent thought it was better and 25 percent hated both.

Surprise! It didn’t change how anyone planned to vote. Only 5 percent of readers said it changed who they plan to vote for. Maybe they were some of the “undecided” voters in the live audience.

Despite how painful the debate was, people remain optimistic. Sixty-four percent of our readers think America will be better off in five years. They had a variety of explanations:

• Better: “As long as the Ken Bones of the world are out there asking the tough questions, we’ll be OK.”
• Better: “Gladly the country is better and stronger than just one candidate or the president itself.”
• Better: “I think we will learn not to ever take our democracy for granted again.”
• Better: “Can it really get any worse?”
• Worse: “Neither of the candidates are capable of reuniting the country.”
• Worse: “It will be the same Congress.”

Here are a few other good takes on Sunday night’s debate:

• A hilarious transcript of what we heard, even if it’s not exactly what they said.
• None of the words Trump said mattered.
• Only time will tell, but Nate Silver predicted how the debate will affect polls.