Stage is set to finally challenge presidential candidates

Set against an entertainment-driven campaign, tonight’s US presidential debate offers a critical opportunity to ask some hard-hitting questions, writes Kathryn Cramer Brownell.

Tonight’s US presidential debate will contrast two remarkably different approaches to entertainment: Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s carefully planned and polished production, versus Republican nominee Donald Trump’s seemingly impulsive and brash reality style.

Throughout the campaign, both nominees have used entertainment forums — from appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, to cameos on Saturday Night Live, to Twitter feeds — to bypass the mainstream media and bring their message directly to voters in an unfiltered, and unchallenged, manner.