I was wrong. “She whupped him”
This may be as consequential as the Trump-Biden debate
I argued in a column a few weeks ago that I thought it was a mistake for Kamala Harris to get on a debate stage with Donald Trump. She was riding a wave of enthusiasm. It’s difficult to be on stage with someone like Trump who spews misinformation. I thought Harris could only hurt herself and not help her campaign by failing to counter his tsunami of misinformation.
Boy, was I wrong. From the opening wide shot when Harris strode confidently across the stage to meet Trump behind his podium and extend her hand in greeting, she was on the offensive, prosecuting the case against Trump like a good prosecutor should.
She was calm. She was relaxed. She looked right at him as she spoke. She smiled. She shook her head in disbelief at the things he said. She made sense. She spoke clearly. She baited him over and over.
And Trump took the bait over and over. He scowled. He yelled. He made faces.
The most consequential visual thing I noticed?
He. Did. Not. LOOK. At. Her.
Not one time. He stared straight ahead while she criticized him. He stared straight ahead when talking about her. What does that say that he can’t look her in the eye? Is he afraid of her? Is he unable to look at a strong woman when she’s talking? Is she not worthy of his attention? It showed a complete lack of respect not only for Kamala Harris, but for every woman who was watching.
She was prepared. He repeats internet rumors
Harris was completely prepared for this debate. She predicted viewers would hear lots of lies from Trump. They did. She looked forward. Trump relitigated the past, including defending his attacks on the Central Park Five and claiming he really did win the 2020 election.
He stepped way over the line with claims that would be laughable if they weren’t so dangerous. He said Harris is a Marxist. He returned to the immigration theme over and over, including repeating the complete lie that Haitian immigrants are stealing pets in an Ohio town and eating them. Face it folks, the Republican party candidate for president is willing to repeat social media rumors on national TV without any idea whether they’re true or not. That’s where we are as a country right now.
I sampled a little post-debate reaction on the news networks. Van Carter on CNN said, “She whupped him. She baited him and she spanked him.”
Even on Fox “News”, anchor Brit Hume said he thought Harris had a good night. Then the analysts went on to criticize the ABC News anchors for demanding Trump answer their questions, while not demanding the same of Harris. That could be because she answered their questions, while Trump took every question and turned it to a rant on immigration. When their best argument is to attack ABC News, which is simply a process argument, it’s clear they know their candidate lost the debate.
Kudos to ABC News
I thought this was a model of how a political debate should be produced on television. The moderators were calm. They did quick fact checking on some of Trump’s more outrageous statements, such as when he said some states are executing babies after they’re born. They asked tough but fair questions of both candidates. If anything, they bent over backwards to let Trump respond even when it wasn’t his turn to do so.
Harris cleared the bar
This debate may not have had the shock value of the June debate between Trump and Biden, because Americans were truly stunned to see how compromised President Biden was. That debate was the most consequential since the Kennedy-Nixon debates in 1960, because it dramatically changed the dynamics of the race, forcing Biden to withdraw. This debate may be every bit as consequential, though. Harris had a high bar to clear – to show she could stand up to Trump, that she could think on her feet, that she could express herself without a teleprompter. She cleared that bar with room to spare.
Trump, as usual, had a very low bar to clear. Just stick to the issues, don’t be nasty, appear presidential for 90 minutes or so. He fell flat on his face. He looked angry. He looked old.
I don’t expect the MAGA crowd to abandon Trump. But any lingering doubts by the rest of America about Harris’ abilities should now disappear and every lingering doubt about Trump should be amplified.
I’m eager to hear your thoughts. Did Harris just win the race?
The political writers in the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative will be producing a podcast later today with a range of views on the debate. I’ll send out a link when it’s done.
Meantime, check out some of the other writers in the collaborative.
Most statements Trump spewed were laughable. I enjoyed this debate like no other! He was so unbelievable, it was incredulous to watch and hear him in real time. Obviously, I avoid hearing his voice to maintain my sanity, but WOW just WOW! And, Taylor Swift, the world’s most famous Childless Cat Lady, could not have timed her post any better. Kamala Harris is superior, in so many ways. You are right, Dave…..Trump was totally disrespectful, not only to our next Madame President, but to every woman in America and around the world.
I totally agree with you. Trump would be a disaster for our country. He interrupted the analysis's time after time. Thank you for your right on analysis.