The Debate Reactions Flood In

Well, there you have it! The first presidential debate is over, and boy, was that something. It was, as expected, a frequently combative, bombastic, and controversial affair, and not because of anything the Democratic nominee did. It was Donald Trump's chance to sputter and bluster and stumble along, and he turned in much the kind of performance everyone expected. But we live in polarized and partisan times these days, so it's hard to know how people will respond ― so, what were the reactions to the first presidential debate?

Needless to say, after a debate like that, the takes are bound to be pretty strong. And if you're a Democrat, a political progressive, or a Clinton supporter of any stripe, then you probably came away feeling pretty good. In broad strokes, it was a presidential clash unlike any the American public has really ever seen, at least in the modern era ― Trump constantly interrupted, shouted, sniffed into the microphone, and in sum looked anything but presidential. By contrast, Clinton may have sounded a touch nervous and cautious in the beginning, but after Trump started throwing those big, sweeping rhetorical haymakers, she was able to parry with devastating effectiveness.

But there's never a uniform opinion when it comes to partisan politics! Here are some of the reactions flying around on social media.

Trump's aggressive sniffing was definitely noticeable, although you're forgiven if you hadn't expected a former Democratic presidential candidate to accuse him of cocaine use. It's fair to say that Howard Dean is not here to take prisoners.

Needless to say, the words "Trump" and "meltdown" were on plenty of people's lips during and after the debate. If you missed it, make no mistake, you should watch the replay as soon as you can ― if this was a contest to see who'd look more credibly presidential, there really was only one correct answer.