Full coverage of the first presidential debate of 2016, between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

By Jon Wright Fay
10/12/2016 • 03:21 AM EST

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: Click or tap on any techniquesee definition - the definition will be displayed here.
that appears in bold to show its definition.
: slogansee definition - a brief, striking phrase designed to be memorable, evoke emotional appeal, and reinforce a specific message or idea.
: "Trumped-up trickle-down" associates her opponent's name with a widely discredited economic approach in a way that is memorable, punchy, and easy to repeat.
: common folksee definition - connecting with an audience by giving the impression that you understand and share their everyday struggles and concerns.
: By contrasting her opponent’s privilege with her upbringing as the daughter of a hardworking small businessman, Clinton emphasizes her connection to middle-class struggles.
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: After examining more than 100,000 confidential documents, the NY Times concluded that the "small loan" was actually $60.7 million.[1]
: half truthsee definition - a statement that is essentially true, but lacking critical information and presented as the whole truth.
: Trump mentions the 16% VAT tax paid by U.S. companies in Mexico, without mentioning that Mexican companies pay the same 16% VAT tax in Mexico.[2]
: norm of reciprocitysee definition - the tendency for individuals to feel obligated to give back, when they're given something, even if the something given wasn't asked for or wanted.
: By getting Clinton to follow his lead, he makes anything he says after seem more irrefutable.
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: Trump indeed tweeted, "The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive."
: loaded questionsee definition - presenting a question that has a presumption of guilt built into it.
: adding qualifierssee definition - adding an extra word or phrase to a response that makes it ultimately meaningless, but still leaves the desired impression.
: Clinton saying she was "against it once it was finally negotiated" doesn’t necessarily mean she didn’t support the TPP—just that she expressed her opposition after it became politically unpopular.[3]
: glittering generalitiessee definition - vague, emotionally charged language that evokes strong feelings or associations, but offers few if any specifics.
: About "regulations on top of regulations" and pledging to cut regulations and taxes "big league"—while providing no specific details on which regulations would be cut, whose taxes would be reduced, or whose taxes would otherwise be increased.
: labelingsee definition - casting a person or group into a rigid, stereotypical identity and assigning names or attributes to that identity.
: Trump's use of the saying "Typical politician. All talk, no action." defines Clinton as ineffective, insincere, and detached from the needs of everyday people.
: red herringsee definition - throwing irrelevant information into an argument to divert attention from the real issue at hand.
: Trump brings up being under audit and releasing his public financial disclosure, which may seem relevant but does not address why he hasn't released his tax returns.[5]
: false equivalencesee definition - implying that two things are essentially the same, despite being significantly different, by focusing on anecdotal or superficial similarities.
: Between the release of Trump's existing tax returns and the demand for Hillary Clinton’s non-existent “deleted” emails, when, by his own framing, he is demanding something that cannot be produced.
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: In the tax returns that anyone has seen from Trump, he has paid federal income tax for three out of five years from 1975 to 1979.[3]
: guilt by associationsee definition - discrediting an opponent by linking them with a person, group, or entity viewed negatively by the target audience.
: Trump uses Clinton's years in politics to identify her with the failings of other politicians, even though she may have played little or no role in many of the issues he condemns.
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: Trump filed for bankruptcy six (not four) times.[3]
: dog whistlesee definition - ambiguous messaging designed to stoke fears, anxieties, or prejudices against minorities or other marginalized groups, or to covertly signal allegiance to specific subgroups.
: The phrase "law and order" has historically been used to stoke racial anxiety about urban crime and to call for crackdowns on civil disobedience by people of color. Summoning it can signal support for racialized policing to certain audiences while remaining a neutral call for public safety to the broader audience.[8]
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: While crime has continued to drop under the current mayor, there was a 5.7% rise in murders, since ending stop and frisk.[3]
: fault as virtuesee definition - reframing a weakness or undesirable trait as a strength by highlighting any positive aspect of it.
: Trump suggests his promotion of the birther controversy—which could be perceived as racially charged and rooted in conspiracy—instead was a public service because it forced Obama to release his birth certificate.
: whataboutismsee definition - discrediting a criticism by accusing hypocrisy to shift the focus away from oneself and onto others.
: Trump shifts the focus from allegations that he played racial politics with Obama to suggesting Clinton did the same—redirecting scrutiny onto his opponent.
: straw mansee definition - misrepresenting an opponent's position or argument to make it easier to attack, usually by exaggerating, distorting, or just completely fabricating it.
: Trump invited the Russians to find Clinton's 30,000 deleted emails, NOT to hack into random Americans.[10]
: misleading claimsee definition - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue.
: ICE, the federal agency, didn't endorse Trump, rather a union representing 5,000 federal immigration officers did.[11]
: misleading claimsee definition - a statement with a few elements or kernel of truth, which can easily be proven deceptive or fundamentally untrue.
: 73% is how much the U.S. spends on its own military, compared to other alliance countries. The U.S. actually pays about 22% of the NATO budget.[12]
: false claimsee definition - a statement that is directly contradicted by fact and can be easily proven untrue.
: Trump's public stance against the Iraq War did not occur until August 2004 (a year after the war started), before which he was either noncommittal or supported it.[13]
: exaggerationsee definition - stretching the truth to make something seem more powerful or meaningful than it actually is.
: Although Clinton played a major role, she wasn't solely responsible for imposing international sanctions against Iran.[14]
: innuendosee definition - implying something negative or controversial without explicitly stating it, leaving the audience to infer the intended meaning.
: By emphasizing that "America’s word be good" and that many leaders have expressed "questioning and worries," Clinton implies that Trump cannot be trusted by other world leaders, without explicitly stating it.
: innuendosee definition - implying something negative or controversial without explicitly stating it, leaving the audience to infer the intended meaning.
: By warning about "bullies, abroad or at home," and "those who would try to destabilize the world," Clinton insinuates that Trump is a bully and a threat to global stability, without stating it outright.
: the last wordsee definition - the cognitive tendency to better remember or emphasize the most recent information encountered, compared to earlier information.

Number of techniques detected in the 1:38:58 runtime of this video clip:


References
1. "Trump's false claim he built his empire with a 'small loan' from his father". The Washington Post. Published: March 03, 2016.

2. "Here's What Donald Trump Got Wrong About Mexico's Taxes". Time. Published: October 02, 2016.

3. "FactChecking the First Debate". FactCheck.org. Published: September 27, 2016.

7. "Mortality from Homicide among Young Black Men: A New American Tragedy". The American Journal of Medicine. Published: January 17, 2013.

9. "Fraternal Order of Police union endorses Trump". The Washington Post. Published: September 16, 2016.

10. "Trump Invited the Russians to Hack Clinton. Were They Listening?". The New York Times. Published: July 13, 2018.

11. "Donald Trump says ICE endorsed him". Politifact. Published: October 09, 2016.

12. "Distorted NATO Funding Figure". FactCheck.org. Published: December 14, 2017.

13. "Was Trump Against the Iraq War from the Beginning?". Snopes.com. Published: September 27, 2016.

14. "Hillary Clinton says she helped usher Iran to the negotiating table". Politifact. Published: November 23, 2015.

15. "Donald Trump Says Hillary Clinton Doesn't Have 'a Presidential Look'". The New York Times. Published: September 06, 2016.