Hillary Clinton turned in a strong performance during the first presidential debate Monday night against Donald Trump, offering a broad menu of her command of subjects.

About an hour in, Clinton easily brushed off a remark Trump offered to diminish her debate preparation by saying, “You know what else I prepared for? I prepared to be president.”

It was the kind of memorable line she needs to convince those still making up their mind that she is better suited to the presidency, as she ticked off a mix of policy prescriptions to help the middle class and gored Trump over his bankruptcies, his fanning of birtherism’s racist flames, his discrimination against blacks in his early business deals and disparaging comments he has made about women.

But was it enough? Trump fought back with measured determination and tried to appear more presidential than in his primary debates. But for the most part Trump spent his time responding to Clinton and — as he has often this cycle — making statements that stretch the truth.

Trump said his tax plan would reduce burdens “tremendously,” but fact checkers at The Washington Post noted almost immediately his plan would raise federal taxes for half a million single parents. He again incorrectly blamed federal audits for not releasing his tax returns. He overstated the importance of so-called stop-and-frisk policies as the prime reason crime fell in cities like New York.

The blustery billionaire was at his best early in the evening in criticizing the North American Free Trade Agreement, signed by Bill Clinton when he was president. Trump’s discussion of the 16 percent value-added tax Mexico charges American exporters suggested he, too, had done his debate homework.

But after the shouting ended, it was hard to say who benefited more in this contest that has so challenged tradition.

Anticipation for the debate was huge. Quinnipiac pollsters found in the days leading up to it that 84 percent of likely voters planned to tune in.

Despite more than a year of exposure to the race, and many years more exposure to the candidates, pollsters found the race in a virtual dead heat, with Clinton holding a single percentage point advantage over Trump when third-party candidates were considered. National polling suggested a healthy percentage of voters was either undecided or open to change.

Clinton faced the disadvantage of high expectations even before moderator Lester Holt asked the first question. According to Quinnipiac, 9 percent of those polled expected Clinton to win the back-and-forth with Trump.

She didn’t win Monday night by a huge margin. But for those voters genuinely looking for real differences between the candidates, Clinton’s command of the subjects, and her handling of this man who has so belitted other opponents, should go a long way.

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