We Asked High School Debate Coaches to Grade Trump and Clinton's Performances

Brett Bricker is an associate debate director at the University of Kansas and at Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, a high school in Miami, Florida. While Trump is effective, Bricker says, he's not effective in any of the traditional determinants for a winning debate. "In the history of the presidential debate, there is a centrally agreed upon question—say you previously stated on record that climate change is a hoax fabricated by China—he should defend the point." Instead, Trump denied that the point was true. However, Trump has been effective in changing the rules of what is acceptable in a presidential debate.

"Trump's goal is to violate the rules of the debate, to violate the existing rules of the establishment," said Bricker. "In a traditional debate, Clinton wins with strong empirical data and arguments." While Clinton might win the debate while playing with the rules, "Trump's strategy—that seems to be working—is not predicated on evidence or rationality. It focused on shock value."

Bricker, however, remains optimistic. "I would like to believe that the people and the electorate can see through that and latch on to the more salient political elements of the debate." When asked to grade the two, Bricker said Clinton won and gave her an A, though he chose not to give Trump a grade.

Aaron Kall is the director of debate at the University of Michigan. Formerly a coach at the University of Kentucky, Kall has coached students in the final rounds of the year-end collegiate National Debate Tournament. He is also an editor and co-author of Debating Donald, a book about Trump and his debate tactics in this election.

For a previous interview with the Detroit News, Kall gave Clinton an A- and Trump a B-. "After having more time to adjust, I would like to amend my grade," he told Broadly. He still awarded Hillary an A- and downgraded Trump to a C.

"Trump started out very strongly. Especially on the issue of free trade, he was making a direct appeal to the voters of Michigan or Ohio." But people weren't looking for Trump to win on traditional terms, Kall noted. "His biggest vulnerability was the question of temperament. It's a low bar."

Before the debate, Clinton reportedly practiced her techniques with Trump stand-ins. "You don't have to be a debate coach to see she is the more prepared candidate," said Kall. "Preparation makes for perfect."

"The one part of her preparation I did not like as much were a couple of really canned messages that did not land very well," said Bricker. If you cringed at "Trumped-up trickle down economics," you weren't alone. "My hair stood up a little bit," said Bricker. "The problem with Clinton sometimes is it's hard to see the part of her that cares, the part of her that shows the emotional side."

I asked Bricker if Hillary's gender impacts how much she is scrutinized for things like seeming genuine or emotional. "I think it does. She is judged on a far different standard," said Bricker. "She has to find balance between [being perceived as] aggressive and bitchy or too passive and not worthy of being Commander-in-Chief. I [noticed] a lot of comments about her facial expression and smiling, ignoring the substantive victory she had."

Earlier this week, former high school debater Anna Water wrote about the gendered criticism women face in debates for the Washington Post. In Water's article, photocopies of real high school debate ballots are included. One shows a judge's comments for male debaters, saying that have "very good, strong stance," also describing that as "strong" and "forceful." Their opponents, women, are told to "monitor your emotions in response to your opponent" and "make sure you are not too overly aggressive."

I was also a high school debater. On ballots, I was called a "bitch," "rude," "aggressive," and "loud," among with countless other sexist remarks. While my male counterparts would wake up in the morning to prepare arguments and put on a button up shirt with a tie, I would wait and think about whether my skirt was too short for the day. Men and women judges alike would comment on how I dressed, what my hair looked like, and how tired I appeared.

While on the phone with my former coach, Steve Wood, who has coached high school debate teams through state and national championships for over 32 years, I mentioned this gendered criticism. "Me and [my debate partner], were just not that likable," I said. Wood, responded first with a laugh that quickly trailed off. "Yeah."

Wood gave Clinton an A and Trump a B. He clarified that, while Trump didn't do anything great, most of the people in his audience were likely still thinking, "Yeah, that's our man."

Kall believes Clinton's biggest weakness was Trump's ability to consistently interrupt her, while Bricker said Clinton could have used Trump's interruptions against him by calling out the sexism behind his tactics. "She could have pointed out why it was wrong and tie it to her larger criticism of his treatment of women. It was an opportunity where she could be more clear about that."