In shadow of vulgar tape, Trump, Clinton face off in high-stake second debate

Journalists wait at the media filing center for the second presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, the United States, Oct 9, 2016. The second presidential debate will be held at Washington University on Oct 9. [Photo/Xinhua]

ST. LOUIS, Missouri - Jeffery Matthews, an arts professor of the Washington University in St. Louis, is losing his faith in Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to lead the country.

"Trump has shot his own feet for so many times. I can't imagine the majority of Americans supporting someone with such negative ways to think of a country," Matthews told Xinhua on Saturday afternoon while walking his five-year-old dog on the campus of the university which is to host the second presidential debate between Trump and his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton on Sunday night.

"I thought this has been baked in for a long time, and last night absolutely digged him in. Now Republicans are running away from him," he said, referring to the disclosure on Friday of a 2005 video in which the brash New York billionaire bragged in obscene languages about forcing himself on women sexually.

The exposure of the vulgar comments and its wide-ranging fallout are indeed stealing the spotlight from the second presidential debate in the Midwestern state of Missouri, one of the final opportunities to alter the trajectory of the race with the Election Day only four weeks to go.

More than two dozen Republican lawmakers have distanced themselves from their party's nominee - some withdrawing endorsements or called for him to drop out of the race for the White House. Some even spoke of vice presidential candidate Mike Pence as an alternative.

Pence, whose calm and collected performance in last week's vice presidential debate scored points for the party's ticket, also delivered an unheard-up reproach by a running mate, saying in a statement that "he was offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump." He called the second debate as a crucial moment to turn around the campaign.

Although the Republican Party's top leadership, including House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and party chairman Reince Priebus, stopped short of reversing their support, they decried his vulgar comments.

Trump acted as his own fireman, offering an apology for what he called "locker room banter" conversation in a brief statement while attacking former President Bill Clinton for even worse remarks on women. However, Trump vowed not to quit under any circumstances, even mocking them who disavowed him as "So many self-righteous hypocrites."

As in their first showdown, Trump and Clinton exchanged heavily in personal attacks, with Clinton blasting Trump for dodging taxes and being sexist and racist, and Trump accusing Clinton of lacking stamina for the presidency.

Many political analysts have said the lack of real discussions on policy positions was far from building enough trust for them among undecided voters to chart a path to win the decisive 270 electoral votes for the Oval Office, U.S. experts said.

As the second and third debate looms large as one of the final chances to affect the trajectory of the race, both campaigns are working feverishly in the most competitive states to get their core supporters to vote early and persuade undecided voters to back their candidates.

Clinton has a three-to-five point lead over Trump nationally, according to the latest Quinnipiac University poll.

Among the four biggest battleground states - those that do not have reliable vote either Republican or Democratic -- Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania are tilting Clinton's way, while Trump still has an upper hand in Ohio where he claims strong support among working-class white voters, the poll showed.

But the lewd tape issue is also set to divert a certain amount of attention from policy talks that voters are eager for. A CNN report said that the opening questions for Sunday night's town-hall format debate will focus on the tape scandal as an adjustment to reflect the latest controversy surrounding Trump.

Still here in Missouri, a Midwestern state which has voted Republican in the last four presidential elections and is also leaning Republican in the 2016 election cycle, voters say they are disappointed by so many personal attacks and they want to hear more policy confrontations.

Different from the first debate, the town hall format features questions from the audience members, which have been selected through a screening process conducted by the Gallup polling group to ensure that they are undecided or softly leaning toward a candidate.

"The candidates' words, temperament, and empathy for the individuals who ask questions will influence voters here," Dave Robertson, professor and chair of Department of Political Science at the University of Missouri, told Xinhua.

"Missourians will tend to identify with the people who ask questions, and some people watching may know one of the questioners personally," he said.

In Five Guys fast food restaurant near Saint Louis University, Sarah, a white young woman in her 20s, said she probably will watch the presidential debate.

As to whom she will vote, Sarah said she hasn't made up her mind. But she will definitely not vote for Trump because of his public inflammatory words, said Sarah who called herself an independent.

Marie, an African-American woman in her 50s, also said she has not made up her mind yet.

"The most important is the people. I hope whoever gonna to be president do whatever they promise the nation," said Marie, who has voted Barack Obama in 2008 and not in 2012.

Patrick Sanders, cashier of the restaurant, said he didn't know the presidential debate is going to take place just miles away.

As for who he will vote in the election, he replied immediately "I will not vote."

"You know, both of them are mad," said the 25-year-old African American.