Jamaican supporters of Mr Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, must be hoping that he had an off-day in Monday night’s first presidential debate against Democratic nominee Mrs Hillary Clinton.

Although his supporters have put a brave face on Mr Trump’s performance, it is difficult for reasonable people who watched the debate to conclude other than that he was badly mauled by Mrs Clinton.

Happily for his admirers, a bad performance in one debate does not necessarily mean the end of the race. Keen followers of American elections will recall that President Barack Obama put in a dismal performance against Republican presidential hopeful Mr Mitt Romney in the first of the 2012 debates. But Mr Obama recovered and won the other two debates, and subsequently the elections.

Mr Trump’s performance can be put down to his inexperience debating at that level and his obvious lack of adequate preparation. On both those counts he was completely outflanked by Mrs Clinton who has been at this game for much longer than him.

The big question will be whether Mr Trump has it in him to be able to better marshal his facts, stay on message, not allow himself to be goaded by his opponent, and defeat the temptation to be the reality showman he is accustomed to being in his business life.

Not being a traditional politician, he is batting on a sticky wicket against the fearsome bowling of the moderators. At the same time, we disagree that Monday night’s moderator, Mr Lester Holt, was harder on Mr Trump. He seemed to have allowed both candidates a lot of time to make their points, and at times seemed unable to restrain the Republican contender.

If Mr Trump can manage even a draw in the next two debates, his chances of winning the November 8, 2016 election remain vibrant. Many people are asking how is it that he is in a virtual tie with Mrs Clinton in the public opinion polls, despite his unconventional style of campaigning.

His supporters believe that his message of change from eight years of the Obama presidency, which Mrs Clinton vows to continue, and his appeal to people who feel they have been left behind by the United States economy, resonates especially with blue collar workers.

On the other hand, his critics say he is ignorant on most of the major issues, especially on foreign affairs and national security, insults opponents, and his rhetoric has found a home in racist parts of America where his anti-immigration and anti-Muslim sentiments are welcomed.

On Monday night he missed a great opportunity to put the so-called Birther controversy to rest by not apologising to President Obama for saying he was not born in America. This was very hurtful to African-Americans who had basked in the fact that, after white presidents, they finally had one of their own in the White House.

He should also be prepared to release his tax returns or face more questions from the other two moderators, if not Mrs Clinton, about his motive for concealing them. For the next two debates, he will need to sharpen up. Even the most staunch supporters would like to feel that their candidate is comfortable discussing national issues and would be able to hold his/her own among world leaders.