TIME

The debate stage reveals character, preparation and the candidate who is still a child

I PREPARED FOR THE FIRST CLINTON-TRUMP DEBATE BY watching Citizen Soldier, a riveting documentary about the Oklahoma Army National Guard in combat in Afghanistan—and by not watching any of the pregame commentary by the talking heads. I wanted to see the debate with those young men in my mind: mechanics, oil-field technicians, cops and even a marketing executive, who chose to serve their country in a combat hellhole. I did it because the most important quality of

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