The opening of this debate is not going to save Donald Trump, but it’s the best the GOP could hope for: Chris Wallace has Hillary and Trump talking about about gun control, abortion and immigration in ways that speak directly to both parties’ bases. Trump, of course, is wholly disingenuous here: no mention that he once supported partial-birth abortion and the assault weapons ban, and he had to pretend some interest and knowledge about things like the Heller decision. But Hillary is claiming to support, in vague terms, the Second Amendment, border security, opposing immigrants underbidding U.S. workers, and resistance to Chinese-style forced abortion, in ways her base has to swallow hard to accept, and claims that Heller was only about preventing toddlers from owning guns.
This may not be much of a sales job for a subdued Trump, but it is not a good look for Hillary, who is far more defensive than her position in the polls should justify.