Edward Panetta, professor of communication studies at the University of Georgia, just sent over his grading of last night's second presidential debate between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump.

Panetta, the director of the Georgia Debate Union for 27 years. makes a good point – that Trump may have disappointed the crowd (and more importantly, extended the life of the controversy) when he quickly shifted the topic away from the Access Hollywood video. To wit:

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Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT