Observers see Kamala Harris as the winner of the TV debate against Donald Trump. But what does that mean for the election? Columnist James Warren Davis analyzes the situation.
Hardly anyone can analyze the USA, its politics and the upcoming presidential election better than he can: the American political scientist James W. Davis. He is a proven expert in US politics and international relations and has been teaching in German-speaking countries for decades. He regularly writes for IPPEN.MEDIA about the situation in the USA and the upcoming presidential election.
The contrast could not have been greater. While President Joe Biden shuffled during the debate that essentially ended his quest for a second term, Vice President Kamala Harris her appearance for the first of many demonstrations of power. She confidently walked up to the former president, held out her hand and introduced herself: “Kamala Harris”.
Presenting herself as a strong leader was one of her main goals in the debate. Although Americans recognize the vice president, about a third of the electorate believes they do not really know her yet.
TV duel: Trump makes it easy for Harris and sets the bar low
Donald Trump’s goal was to define Harris. In the run-up to the debate, he repeatedly claimed that she was weak, stupid, evil and a California liberal, in other words someone who is far to the left of the mainstream of American politics.
► James W. Davis, US-American, is one of the most renowned experts on US politics and international relations.
► He studied International Relations at Michigan State University, received his doctorate in political science from Columbia University in 1995 and completed his habilitation at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munichwhere he taught until 2005.
► Since 2005 he has been Professor of International Relations and Director of the Institute of Political Science at the University of St. Gallen.
►Davis is the author of several books and has received numerous scientific awardsincluding visiting professorships and fellowships at renowned institutions.
By setting the bar so low for Harris, Trump made it easy for her to clear it. Presidential debates are a kind of audition. Americans watch to see if the candidate has the stature and strength to serve as commander in chief. By that standard, Harris won the debate hands down. But she did more than just clear the bar.
For 90 minutes, Harris went on the offensive, repeatedly forcing the former president to debate on her terms. At times, she took advantage of Trump’s vanity, as when she invited Americans to attend one of Trump’s campaign rallies: “You’ll see that at his rallies he talks about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter, that windmills cause cancer, and that people leave his rallies early because they’re exhausted and bored.” Trump took the bait and gave a confusing response in which he made the outrageous claim that Harris pays people to attend her campaign rallies.
Trump’s hair-raising comments during the TV debate: “They’re eating the cats!”
What was hair-raising – or perhaps just bizarre – was Trump’s rambling discussion of the crisis at America’s borders. Continuing illegal immigration is one area where Harris is vulnerable, and Trump has taken every opportunity to return to the issue. But instead of offering a serious plan to address the crisis, the former president engaged in sensational fearmongering. Speaking of Haitian immigrants, he claimed, “They’re eating the dogs! The people who came here, they’re eating the cats! They’re eating the pets of the people who live there.” Harris responded with a one-liner: “Let’s talk about extreme positions for once?”
Harris remained on the offensive and kept the focus on Trump. When he accused the Biden administration of allowing criminals from abroad into the country, Harris reminded viewers that the former president is a criminal himself. He has been charged with incitement of insurrection, charged with national security violations, and convicted of sexual assault. When the discussion turned to China, the vice president reminded Americans of the Trump administration’s chaotic response to the COVID-19 pandemic: “He even thanked President Xi for what he did during Covid. Look at his tweet – ‘Thank you, President Xi!’ Exclamation point! We know Xi was responsible for us not getting transparency about the origins of Covid.”
With Trump constantly on the defensive, one might have thought that he was the current incumbent who had to defend his administration’s policies. On this score, too, Harris clearly won the debate. Although Trump tried to link her to President Biden, and thereby make her partly responsible for the ongoing effects of inflation, Harris effectively evaded the issue: “You’re not running against Joe Biden, you’re running against me.”
Harris is doing well – What does the duel say about the outcome of the US election?
But did Harris succeed in introducing herself to the undecided voters who will be decisive in November? It’s hard to remind listeners of your opponent’s weaknesses while also showing where you want to take the country yourself. Harris did talk about her upbringing as the child of a single working mother, and she was at her best when she advocated for national legislation to restore women’s rights to reproductive freedom. But it wasn’t until the final third of the debate that she began to talk explicitly about her economic plans. By that point, many viewers will likely have tuned out.
In the age of social media and internet memes, the outcome of the debate will only be decided in the coming days. Which scenes will be posted and reposted? Which will provide fodder for the evening’s comedy shows?
Poll on TV debate: 63 percent think Harris won
My guess is that Harris has succeeded Donald Trump to provoke behavior that reminds swing voters why they rejected him in 2020. His performance on the debate stage was as chaotic and dismal as his time in the White House. A CNN flash poll after the debate confirms my assessment. 63 percent of viewers think Harris won the debate. Will she win the election?
The Vice President has effectively made the case for turning the tide. She must now use the remaining eight weeks of this campaign to convince voters that their vote can help write a more positive and uplifting chapter in American history.
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