One for the books

ON September 10 (September 11 in Manila), the long-anticipated debate between the United States presidential candidates, Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, took place in Philadelphia. It did not disappoint; if anything, the build-up to the debate did not hype it up enough. For those unfamiliar with the ins and outs of US politics but do have an interest in their outcome — and everyone in the Philippines should, especially the November 5 election — I will attempt to explain the significance of the debate, what it did and did not accomplish, and what may happen next.

Ordinarily, I am loathe to write about politics, even though I do follow politics, both here and in my country of origin, as closely as I feel I need to in order to stay informed. There are plenty of other pundits who live and breathe politics, and so I usually do not feel I have anything to add. I am more concerned with the real-world policy outcomes of politics rather than the politics themselves or the personalities involved.