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00:00>> HISTORY SUGGESTS THAT WINNING HAS LESS TO DO WITH PURE PERFORMANCE AND IS ALMOST ALL ABOUT BEATING EXPECTATIONS. AND ON THIS FRONT, HILLARY CLINTON HAS A PROBLEM. THE FIRST DEBATE IS NOT UNTIL THE END OF THIS MONTH BUT THE CLINTON CAMPAIGN IS REACHING OUT TO SPIN REPORTERS ABOUT HOW GREAT DONALD TRUMP IS. THEY DID A JOB WITH THE PRESS ADVISOR TO SUGGEST THAT DONALD IS, IN FACT, THE GREATEST DEBATER. SEC. CLINTON: I AM PREPARING FOR THE DEBATE. I AM DOING MY HOMEWORK. DONALD TRUMP IS A SELF-PROCLAIMED GREAT DEBATER THAT ONE EVERYONE OF THE REPUBLICAN DEBATES. SO I TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED. I THINK THIS WILL BE A DIFFICULT, CHALLENGING DEBATE. WHICH IS WHY I WILL BE THINKING HARD ABOUT WHAT I NEED TO PRESENT TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. MARK: THE CLINTON TEAM IS STRUGGLING TO SET EXPECTATIONS. IN THE NEXT THREE WEEKS, CAN HER CAMPAIGN LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD? OR WILL SHE GO IN THIS WITH THE DISADVANTAGE OF THE EXPECTATIONS GAME? JOHN: THERE IS SO LITTLE SHE CAN DO ABOUT THIS BECAUSE REALITY IS THAT SHE IS A VERY GOOD DEBATER. SHE IS GOING TO HAVE HIGHER EXPECTATIONS AND SHE SHOULD JUST EMBRACE THEM AND SAY, I'M GOING TO GO KICK IS BUT AND THAT'S THE END OF THE STORY. MARK: HE'S A CLOWN AND DOESN'T DO ANYTHING. JOHN: JUST GO FOR IT. MARK: I GET WHY THEY ARE TRYING TO SPIN THIS NOW BUT IT WILL BE HARD TO CHANGE. I THINK YOUR WAY IS A GOOD IDEA. THEY CAN'T MAKE IT EQUAL. BUT THEY CAN BASICALLY SAY TO THE PRESS, AS THEY HAVE SAID TO ME -- DON'T GREAT ON EXPECTATIONS. IT'S NOT FAIR. JOHN: THAT IS THE HONEST WAY TO DO IT. JUST ARGUE THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE GRADING ON THE CURVE. MARK: THIS IS NOT FUN AND GAMES. IT'S THE PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITED STATES. THEY CAN GO OUT THERE AND SHOW THE READY. JOHN: THE SPIN WHEN IT FLIES IN THE FACE OF WHAT EVERY ROPE ORDER BELIEVES -- MARK: DONALD TRUMP TALKS FOR A LIVING. JOHN: IT'S AT ODDS WITH WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT HIM ABOUT EVERY OTHER AREA OF THE CAMPAIGN. SAY THE GUY IS A CLOWN AND WE WILL SHOW HE IS A CLOWN. MARK: I HAVE SEEN CAMPAIGNS EFFECTIVELY SPIN DEBATE EXPECTATIONS. TO MY AMAZEMENT, IN THIS CASE, IT GOES BACK. HILLARY CLINTON IS NOT TREATED FAIRLY BY THE MEDIA. IT WILL BE SEEN AS WHAT IT IS. NAKED SKIN.

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Hillary Clinton’s Debate Expectations Game

Mark Halperin and John Heilemann discuss the Clinton team is playing Donald Trump’s debate skills and their struggle to level the playing field in terms of debate expectations on "With All Due Respect.”

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