The unprecedented US Presidential election continued, with the first debate happening last week. While the typical responses came fast and furious – both sides declaring victory – plus the usual dissatisfaction with the moderator, buy there was a clear showcasing of campaign strategy.

On the Trump side, the focus was on fear. Hillary cannot be trusted. The economy is in tatters. Americans are not safe. On the Clinton side, it was about experience, policy, details and supporting evidence. In my lifetime of watching politics, the contrast has never been more stark.

Although According to polls leading up to the debate, Trump had been gaining ground, and as the week progressed he kept his “Trumpisms” going and failed stick to his script. Coming out of the debate, the focus was not on shortcomings in Clinton’s track record, but instead was on Trump’s misogynistic views, headlined by his unapologetic bullying of a former Miss Universe.  In the end, it turned out to be the best week of the Clinton campaign since the Democratic convention.

This week, we watched the Vice Presidential debate. But ratings after it aired showed, it was not many of us, with the worst viewership numbers for a VP debate in a generation. I was interested in seeing if they would focus on policy, or if they continue attacking the candidates on the top of the ticket.  It was mostly the latter. If they had stuck to policy, we might have seen that many Americans would wish that these two were the Presidential candidates. But we did not.

In 31 days this theatrical show will have run its course and we will have a new President of the United States. As for the outcome of a Clinton or Trump victory we will have to wait and see.

Here in Canada, we are less than two weeks away from the anniversary of the Liberals’ 2015 election victory, and the sun is shining, and the boring old Canadian approach has never been more enviable.