As the debate stage looms for both presidential candidates, the town hall gives us a glimpse of what is to come. While neither candidate flopped at the town hall, there were also some glaring errors that need to be addressed for both candidates. Neither candidate had a standout performance and did little to sway independent voters towards their side. While Hillary Clinton is up +5 in the newest ABC poll, her clear advantage over Donald Trump has essentially evaporated. The election is up in the air once again, and Hillary may continue to struggle during the debates if Trump rattles her with his unorthodox debate style.

Hillary Clinton started off the town hall last night with exactly what we'd expect from her and was seemingly prepared for every question that came her way. She gave detailed responses to all questions, and it was clear her experience has helped her hone in on a wide range of topics in a way that Donald Trump simply cannot. However, while there was plenty of substance in her answers, it doesn't mean the substance was necessarily good. When a veteran asked her how the American people can trust her with classified information, her response was basically that she didn't know that the information was top-secret. This is a horrible answer and one that she needs to throw aside as quick as possible if she wants to earn the trust of Americans. Hillary must also learn to simplify her answers on certain questions. I find myself often getting bogged down by her answers that often feel like a diversion from the actual question. Sometimes, short and simple answers are all you need to be able to connect with voters, something Hillary desperately needs to do.

Donald Trump, on the other hand, brought his stark but expected style to the town hall. His answers, aside from one on the VA, were not detailed and did not give us a glimpse of his actual positions on a number of important subjects. He went after Hillary Clinton on a number of occasions rather effectively, often keeping his attacks short and to the point. While Donald Trump seemed to tone down his rhetoric for the town hall, he still gave us his patented bone-headed comments only he seems to make. He praised Vladimir Putin for being a "leader" (implying our current president is not) and called Putin a brilliant man. He also stood by his comment about female soldiers in the military being raped, saying it's destined to happen when you put both sexes together. While he said that it's horrible and there needs to be more prosecutions against rapists in the military, Trump needs to learn when to show regret for a comment he makes, instead of sidestepping the question and twisting it to fit "what he actually meant."

While both candidates seemed to hold their own against some rather tough questions from the audience and Matt Lauer, there are some glaring errors that both candidates must fix before the debates come around. This year, the presidential debates may have a much larger impact than ever before given the historical unpopularity of both candidates. These could very well be the most watched debates in history, and both Trump and Hillary need every edge they can get come November 8.