World Courant
Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump must navigate the pitfalls of their political lives on Tuesday as they each try to persuade tens of millions of voters and viewers that they’re one of the best candidates to be president.
Harris, whose momentum has despatched Democrats again right into a neck-and-neck presidential race, must make the case in opposition to Trump whereas additionally explaining how her agenda may assist the nation, notably America’s beleaguered center and dealing courses.
Trump, in the meantime, has the duty of presenting his document on the financial system and immigration as higher than Harris’s, with out inviting distracting private assaults on Harris.
The ABC Information presidential debate will happen on September 10 at 9:00 p.m. Japanese Time and can be broadcast on ABC and streamed on ABC Information Dwell, Disney+ and Hulu.
The showdown in Philadelphia comes months after the final debate ended President Joe Biden’s re-election marketing campaign. Harris is scrambling to mount a last-minute marketing campaign, whereas Trump is scrambling to negatively outline a brand new opponent voters are much less aware of.
“I believe the expectation is simply too excessive: ‘Gosh, the final one dropped out, let’s take a look at it.’ So I believe the stakes are lots increased than I’d usually say,” mentioned Sean Spicer, Trump’s first White Home spokesman.
“I do not actually consider that debates have a lot influence,” he added, “however I do assume that due to the unconventional nature of what is occurring now, there can be a rare quantity of consideration paid to it.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump.
Marco Bello/Reuters, Jeenah Moon
Democrats who spoke to ABC Information mentioned Harris has two foremost objectives: persuade voters she is able to lead the nation and the free world and lay out in additional element the insurance policies she plans to pursue as president.
Some Democratic Celebration sources mentioned voters could also be involved about Harris’ fast rise because the Democratic presidential nominee and — unfairly, they mentioned — about her gender as they think about the form of president they might be snug with.
A powerful debate efficiency may allay issues and bolster her present momentum.
“I believe she has to reply the larger query, which is whether or not she will be able to lead the nation and how much president President Harris goes to be. Individuals simply need to be snug with that call,” mentioned Bakari Sellers, a outstanding Harris ally. “I do not need her to be shy in any respect. Simply be your self, be snug, reply questions after which flip round and provides him a chunk of your thoughts.”
Trump has tried to color Harris as “harmful,” portraying her as a “California liberal” who was gentle on crime and usually out of step with the instances. He has pointed to her time as lawyer common and senator, counting on voters’ perceptions of the progressive stronghold to fill within the blanks.
That’s one thing Harris may revisit throughout the debate. For instance, she may rehash components of her marketing campaign speech, through which she described her efforts as California’s lawyer common to fight transnational gangs working alongside the southern border.
Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, speaks throughout a marketing campaign rally at Enmarket Enviornment, August 29, 2024, in Savannah, Georgia.
Win Mcnamee/Getty Pictures
In keeping with a supply aware of Harris’ marketing campaign pondering, the vice chairman “must be clear about the place she stands on points just like the border and crime and discuss her document on these points as a prosecutor and lawyer common to indicate that the descriptions misrepresent her precise positions on these points.”
That protection will doubtless be supplemented by an effort to emphasise Harris’s financial insurance policies, which she has lately begun rolling out, in addition to to handle voter issues about inflation.
Harris has outlined plans to make it simpler to purchase a house and begin a small enterprise. In a nod to the enterprise group, she mentioned she would increase capital good points taxes lower than Biden has proposed.
“It is an vital alternative for her to additional develop her financial imaginative and prescient and to indicate, by speaking about her expertise and her imaginative and prescient, that she can be a powerful chief, as she has mentioned, for all People,” a supply near Harris’ workforce mentioned.
Nonetheless, Harris faces maybe essentially the most unpredictable, nontraditional figures in fashionable politics, and Trump is prone to spring surprises that would distract the vice chairman from her positions.
Trump has already launched a barrage of non-public assaults, together with questioning Harris’ race and intelligence and highlighting vulgar recommendations about sexual acts.
To this point, Harris has barely responded, calling the criticism “the identical outdated, worn-out textbook.”
Now some allies need her to struggle again.
“I believe there is a mechanism the place you stand as much as bullies and name it out for what it’s and simply say, ‘Whereas the previous president is utilizing racism as political forex, I signify a brand new future, one the place we do not divide individuals and use these derogatory phrases in opposition to anyone,'” Sellers mentioned. “I’d look him within the eye and say, ‘Former President Trump, we’re higher than you now.'”
Others weren’t so positive.
“I’d ignore Trump’s impolite and disrespectful conduct and give attention to the substance, which solely reveals individuals how disgusting his conduct might be,” the supply near Harris’ workforce mentioned.
Republicans, for his or her half, hope to keep away from that situation altogether.
GOP operatives who spoke to ABC Information mentioned Trump ought to give attention to coverage contrasts. They boasted that he has an edge on points like inflation and immigration and that he can attempt to drive her to rethink her insurance policies on points like fracking whereas searching for constant positions on points like abortion.
“He’s not going to have many different moments the place Kamala Harris goes to get robust questions and hard follow-up questions, so he must restrict his solutions and give attention to the positions she’s taken and get her to reconcile what she says now with what she mentioned in 2020,” mentioned Republican Celebration strategist Brad Todd.
“If she says, ‘I am not in favor of banning fracking,’ he ought to say, ‘So, had been you incorrect earlier than? What made you assume your earlier place was incorrect? Or are you simply nervous about Pennsylvania?'” Todd mentioned, referring to the swing state’s financial dependence on the apply.
Trump has at instances rejected that message, undermining her “day one” guarantees by saying she has been in workplace for almost 4 years and is serving a president who was deeply disapproved of when he dropped out of the race.
Former President Donald Trump speaks in Atlanta, August 3, 2024.
Bloomberg through Getty Pictures
It is unclear precisely how efficient that connection could be — an ABC Information/Washington Publish ballot from final month discovered that simply 11% of voters mentioned Harris had loads of affect on financial coverage, and simply 15% mentioned the identical about immigration coverage. However Republicans pressed Trump to hammer dwelling the connection.
“To be seen as somebody who has a profitable debate, he has to proceed that assault,” mentioned a former marketing campaign aide who has contact with Trump’s present workforce. “She’s the vice chairman of america who’s searching for Joe Biden’s second time period. We will make that time.”
Nonetheless, Trump tends to slip into unrelated assaults, whether or not in opposition to opponents or moderators. It’s a method that helped him within the early levels, nevertheless it may backfire on Tuesday.
“If he takes the bait and makes a one-time remark about her and calls her names, I believe that would be the story the subsequent day,” Spicer mentioned.
“He is a subject participant and an improviser, and that is what’s made him efficient as a communicator,” Todd added. “However this can be a time for self-discipline.”
Harris and Trump face main challenges and dangers on stage at Tuesday’s presidential debate
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