Clinton digs in and prevails in first debate with Trump

New York

SOME debates seem to transform the fundamentals of a political campaign. The first clash between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on Monday was not one of those events.

Rather than shifting the lines of the presidential race, this debate seems likely to deepen them - bolstering Mrs Clinton's advantage on questions of temperament and tolerance, and amplifying Mr Trump's blustery message of drastic change.

But Mrs Clinton appeared to gain in strength over the course of the debate, ultimately routing Mr T…