For the Record: Such a nasty debate

With the last presidential debate over, the end of 2016 appears in sight. It’s three weeks until election day, after which a winner will be declared, a loser will concede and our nation will put this Dumpster fire of campaign cycle behind us. Nice and simple, right?

Right, everyone? … Right?

MODERATOR: One of the prides of this country is the peaceful transition of power and no matter how hard fought a campaign is that at the end of the campaign, that the loser concedes to the winner … Are you saying you're not prepared now to commit to that principle?

TRUMP: What I’m saying is that I will tell you at the time. I'll keep you in suspense, okay?

Aw, here it goes. It’s For the Record, the politics newsletter from Paste BN.

Trump: I might not concede

Trump’s remark that he might not accept the results of the November election was the debate’s biggest moment, one that may define the race’s final weeks. The statement wasn’t unexpected -- he first described the election as rigged months ago -- but Wednesday’s suggestion was unprecedented for a major party nominee.

The candidate’s words also flew in the face of statements from his running mate and his daughter. Mike Pence said the campaign would “absolutely” affirm the election’s results. Ivanka Trump said he would “accept the outcome either way.”

During the first debate, Trump himself said that “if she wins I will absolutely support her.”

Things change.

Clinton called Trump’s idea “horrifying” during Wednesday’s debate. She ticked off other times Trump had described a situation as “rigged,” aiming to frame him as a serial sore loser.

“There was even a time when he didn’t get an Emmy for his TV program three years in a row and he started tweeting that the Emmys were rigged against him,” Clinton said.

“Shoulda gotten it,” Trump blurted. The audience roared.

The Television Academy later chimed in on Twitter: “Rest assured, the #Emmys are not rigged.”

Trump’s comment set the news cycle on fire. Voices from the right and left slammed him for questioning a tenet of American democracy.

“He should have said he would accept the results of the election” said Laura Ingraham, a prominent talk-show host and Trump supporter. “There is no other option unless we're in a recount again.”

We love Wallace

The debate felt wonky compared two the first two contests as the candidates peppered their insults with bits of actual policy discussion. Fox News’ Chris Wallace -- the fairest moderator of them all --

-- corralled Trump and Clinton around issues like the Supreme Court, abortion and the second amendment.

Still, memeable moments flowed like Trump Wine.

‘Bad hombres'

"We have some bad hombres here,” Trump said on immigration. His first priority as president would be to locate “drug lords” and other dangerous undocumented immigrants from the U.S. and “get them out,” he said.

Clinton stressed her own support for border security, but claimed Trump’s call for mass deportation would “rip our country apart.”

She also claimed that a quote saying she wanted “open borders” -- taken from a speech she delivered in Brazil -- had been taken out of context. Trump said he wasn’t buying it.

“People are going to pour into our country,” he said.

‘You’re the puppet’

Vladimir Putin, the unseen specter over each of these debates, saw his name invoked Wednesday after Clinton claimed the Russian government had acted to aid Trump’s campaign.

“I don’t know Putin,” Trump claimed, before making an assertion that suggested he knew Putin.

"He has no respect for her,” Trump said of Clinton. “He has no respect for our president.”

“That’s because he’d rather have a puppet as president of the United States,” Clinton said.

“You’re the puppet!" Trump shot back, employing a classic third-grade rhetorical technique.

'Such a nasty woman'

This one came during an answer from Clinton on Social Security.

“That's part of my commitment to raise taxes on the wealthy,” Clinton said. “My Social Security payroll contribution will go up, as will Donald's assuming he can't figure out how to get out of it, but what we want to do is --”

"Such a nasty woman,” said Trump.

Within hours, a “nasty woman” T-shirt was available for sale -- with the proceeds benefiting Planned Parenthood.

Around the campaign trail:

• Video purportedly shows DNC staffer plotting violence at Trump rallies (Paste BN)
• Icky leaks: DNC bus illegally dumps sewage on Georgia road (WXIA-TV)
• Donald Trump Jr. mocked Aurora shooting on day of Aurora shooting (Paste BN)
• False things were said: fact checks from the debate (Paste BN)

Trump targets voters who won’t read this newsletter

A pro-Trump pac is putting up billboards over farmland in Lancaster County, Pa. and parts of Ohio to attract Amish voters in the key swing states.

They may be putting the cart before the horse: Just 13% of eligible Amish voters turned out in 2004 after George W. Bush made a push in the community.