I agree with your assessment, goldstategop. A draw. No major knockout on either side. Trump stood up for himself when necessary.
If I were to advise Trump, it would consist of the following:
1) Complete your sentences. You are giving the audience too much credit for figuring out what you mean when you shoot off two or three words.
2) Stop repeating the same point 5 or 6 times. You are wasting time.
3) Speak less to broad concepts and more to the common man.
4) Affability matters. Reagan won on affability. Smile a little more, but not with that forced weird smile Hillary plastered on most of the debatte.
On the whole I give Hillary high marks, an A-, and Trump a B or so. Stylistically Hillary did very well, content Trump nailed it a few times.
He needs to take a reality check and prepare more. Obama had a HORRIBLE first debate and came back strong. Trump wasn’t horrible, but he needs to come back strong. I know he can do it.
I agree with most of your points Laz except there are some points he needs to repeat more often. On the Iran deal it is good if he can say “billions of our money going to an enemy terrorist regime who are now even closer to nuclear weapons.” He has to say it emphatically and slowly and repeat it.
He has to repeat that Hillary has zero standing on cyber security issues when lower personnel have gone to prison for what she did with classified information.
This is very good advice. You should send it on.