Recapping the Debate

Hope vs. Fear, Optimism vs. Anger.

Harris started the night by gliding across the stage and shaking Trump’s hand. In doing so, she illustrated how old and slow he moved. It also rattled him, like when the Saints surprised the Colts with a second-half onside kick back in the 2010 Super Bowl. Once they took the podiums, Trump looked angry, like he didn’t want to be there. Harris appeared confident and joyful with a tempered smile.

Harris sounded shaky out of the gate with a question about the economy but settled down quickly. She framed herself as a middle-class American living the American dream while painting Trump as part of the old guard, the one percent, elite, and out of touch with average Americans. Trump helped her by reminding everyone that he went to the elite institution of the Wharton School of Finance with “top professors.” Harris repeatedly got under Trump’s skin, accusing him of selling America out to China, reminding him that 81 million Americans fired him, and encouraging people to go to a Trump rally and see the crowd leave during the third quarter.

In between needling Trump, Harris shifted her policies. She made it clear that she supports fracking, a two-state solution, and a cease-fire with all the hostages freed. She also said she would sign a national abortion bill framing the issue as a freedom the government should not infringe on. She spoke with rhythm and repetitiveness, saying, “I have a plan” and “Donald Trump left us…” She spoke clearly and let Americans know she has an opportunity plan for the economy, and Donald Trump left America in a bad place.

Trump appeared agitated and looked old. He stood there like a stone with a frown and again showed his trademark lack of discipline. In the Biden debate, Trump’s answer on abortion was a strong point. During the debate with Harris, he faltered and rambled. When referencing Ralph Northam, he mistook West Virginia for Virginia and later went on a tangent about student loans. Then he showed his great leadership skills, saying he hadn’t discussed the issue with his running mate and throwing J.D. Vance under the bus.

While Harris is part of the current administration, she was able to deflect the current troubles onto Trump, saying that the Biden administration has “cleaned up Donald Trump’s mess.” Viewers were reminded that he failed to build the wall, repeal and replace Obamacare, or drain the swamp. What he did do was get outplayed by our foreign adversaries, inviting the Taliban to Camp David and getting wooed with “flattery and favors” by strongmen like Putin and Kim Jong-un. Harris also reminded voters that Trump killed the bipartisan immigration bill because he would rather run on a problem instead of solving a problem. Trump failed to effectively counter her because he was focused on his rallies and crowd size.

Trump's worst moment came when he insisted on defending January 6th and shielded himself from responsibility, saying he had nothing to do with it and that he has no regrets about the day. He was only asked to give a speech. This answer is strange for many reasons. It plays into Harris’s accusation that he is easily manipulated by others, showing he lacks the power and authority to be President. It also shows his lack of knowledge about our democratic republic. Did he ever stop to think about why he was giving a speech and what the purpose was? I mean, it was written all over on signs. The purpose was to “stop the steal.” His speech legitimized an attempt to reverse the results of an election because he lost.

Trump incited fear, scaring voters about rising crime and people dying every day. He said twice that if he were elected, before taking office, he would end a war currently raging and that if Harris were elected, America would be thrown into WWIII. It begs the question, if ending war was that easy, and he doesn’t need to be president to get it done, why doesn’t he do it now? Is it because he sees problems as opportunities for himself to gain power instead of things to be solved?

While Harris used her time to reiterate a vision of optimism, saying it was time to turn the page. Trump used his time talking about rumors of immigrants eating dogs. He looked generally confused when told the rumors were unsubstantiated, repeatedly saying, “The people on television.” He showed voters that his debate prep was similar to that of a crazy, distant uncle, isolating himself in a bubble of entertainment and failing to take it seriously. Maybe flying to the debate with Laura Loomer wasn’t a good idea.

It’s clear Harris was well prepared, while Trump just winged it. Trump’s camp will likely scapegoat the moderators for fact-checking him while ignoring the fact that Trump was unprepared. Somehow, nothing is ever his fault. He won’t take accountability for himself, and his followers are often too cowardly to hold him accountable.

Harris projected hope, opportunity, and joy, while Trump fed viewers division, deception, fear, and anger. Harris let Americans know that she has a plan, while Trump reminded them that he only has “concepts of a plan.” Harris plans to lead by bringing Americans from the left and right together to focus on turning the page. Trump’s version of leadership is to fire anyone who makes a mistake. Harris repeatedly talked about Americans struggling with the current political division and encouraged unity; Trump repeatedly talked about himself and stoked division.

In the coming weeks, we will see how the debate impacted the election. It will be interesting to see if Trump’s poor performance causes him to cower and back out of the next debate. He usually deals with problems by yelling at them, running away, and isolating himself in front of the television. Will Harris maintain her vision of optimism and capitalize on her strong performance? One debate does not define an election—there are still 54 more days until Election Day. Lots of time left in the game.