During their first confrontation on Tuesday evening, any lingering uncertainty about Kamala Harris’s ability to challenge Donald Trump was undoubtedly dispelled. The question remains as to whether there will be another encounter before the election takes place in 55 days time. Significantly, Harris ended the debate by suggesting another one, setting the scene for a possible rematch.
Looking at it from any unbiased perspective, there’s a strong argument that Harris was the victor of the debate – a sentiment even echoed by some commentators on Fox News, who expressed that it wasn’t Trump’s best performance. However, will the average American voter also perceive it this way? Despite winning her 2016 debates with Trump in the eyes of many observers, Hillary Clinton did not secure a win on voting day.
Nevertheless, Harris’s performance exceeded expectations. Irrespective of post-debate endorsements from famous faces, which typically don’t change people’s minds, Harris was far from inadequate. Even against the backdrop of her successful recent convention in Chicago, delegates expressed apprehension about Harris’s forthcoming face-off with Trump – a sign that Democrats couldn’t mask their unease about this pivotal first meeting between them.
What could have potentially been an ruinous night for Harris turned out to be a beneficial 90 minutes that may have halted her loss of momentum. If Joe Biden, and not Harris, had been on stage that night, the Democratic Party’s trajectory might have been very different. Biden’s push for an early June debate, which ultimately saw him stepping down after underperforming, allowed Democrats some breathing room. With Harris at the helm, they might have a plausible chance of victory- a reality they were far from realising with Biden.
Among the things Harris achieved in her exchange with Trump, the most notable was arguably her avoidance of playing into her stereotype – that of an endlessly chuckling, ambitiously shallow woman who lacks depth and can’t construct a cohesive sentence. Harris started out visibly nervous but soon eased into her stride, successfully getting under Trump’s skin by highlighting his smaller crowd sizes and the desire of world dictators, including Putin, for his triumph.
Reports reveal that the common guidance offered to Trump by his advisers and campaign officials was to remain calm, however, that was challenged by Harris. Trump’s bold allegation that illegal immigrants were feasting on pet dogs, a claim set to rapidly join the disinformation leaderboard, along with his portrayal of the January 6th rioters as heroes, led to palpable disappointment at his campaign headquarters. It remains puzzling why Trump failed to lay out a concrete plan to replace the Obamacare healthcare law.
Under pressure from the debate’s moderators, Trump noted, “I have ideas for a plan. I’m not currently the president.” In previous debates, such a response would have been significant. However, given he has had nearly a decade to develop an alternative health care law, it is unlikely to alter perceptions in 2024. Even voters with minimal political knowledge have lost hope of him delivering on this.
The impact of Harris’s debate performance on the American electorate remains to be seen. However, immediate benefits include an apparent surge in her self-assuredness which could improve her election prospects. Her request for another debate suggests she is becoming more comfortable facing rigorous questioning from the media.
Still, Harris must overcome the significant obstacle of the US’s political divide and secure a considerable lead nationally to confidently take crucial swing states, given the Electoral College’s challenging landscape. Trump could feasibly clinch victory despite trailing in polls.
Presently, the narrative of America’s election has been disrupted but, given the US’s notorious unpredictability, it could shift once more. Harris’s robustness during this period silences those who previously doubted her.
This was evident in her dealings with Biden, still her current superior and sponsor. Harris displayed a nearly ruthless distancing from Biden, who retains the presidency for another five months. Highlighting to Trump, “You’re not competing against Joe Biden, you’re facing me,” Harris left no room for doubt. – Content under the copyright of The Financial Times Limited 2024.