Written by: Stefano Raffo 🇵🇪 🇺🇸
Image via: Robyn Beck/AFP
Image via: Damon Winter/The New York Times (Trump) and Damon Winter/The New York Times
The 2020 Democratic primary was defined by one pitch: Who can defeat Donald Trump in an election?
That question was posed throughout the primary debates, where Kamala Harris and Joe Biden participated. While these started off fairly passive, Harris would create one of the most memorable moments on June 27, 2019, when she attacked Joe Biden’s past opposition to racial integration policies “There was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools, and she was bussed to school every day,” Harris added. “That little girl was me.” Her remarks were received by thunderous applause, and a feud that would continuously flair up throughout many primary debates was born.
One pandemic, massive protests over race relations, a presidential election, and another historic debate later, Harris is Biden’s vice president, and she is the person pitching themselves capable of defeating Trump.
The Republican nominee is one of the most experienced debaters, as this is now his third time running on the presidential ballot. Whether you love his charismatic macho personality or you hate his name-calling, everyone already has an opinion on Trump. He is arguably one of the most famous people in the world, with clips of his interviews and press conferences raking in millions of views. At this point, he needs no introduction.
On the other hand, voters know very little about Harris. Her campaign has the latest-ever start for a major party candidate, and her goal has firmly been to define herself and her stances to the American people.
Thus, the goals of this debate, and the subsequent moments that’ll come out of it, will come from Harris trying to create a familiar face for America where she is caring, serious, and relatable. Trump will question the narratives she states, trying to bring down whatever image she attempts to give herself.
This means that Trump will not be the center of the conversation for the first time, as the tired and ineffective attacks on his past misogynistic behavior and anti-democratic actions don’t resonate with voters. Instead, the vice president should make him seem unrelatable, as a rich man who only cares about his interests and abandons the American people in times of need.
She will most likely point out the 2017 tax cuts that he passed as president, where most of the benefits went to the top 1% of the wealthiest Americans and will increase taxes for the middle class in the future.
Harris also wants to create a moment similar to her highlight of the 2020 presidential debate, where she told Mike Pence “I’m speaking” after he interrupted her. She is so eager for a similar moment that she refuses to allow moderators to mute microphones when candidates are waiting for their turn.
However, while she has the upper hand on the debate matchup itself, Harris is on the back foot. The simple reality is that people are discontent with the state of the economy and inflation, and most of the blame goes to the leaders. Consumer sentiment and incumbents around the world are dropping like flies, and the Biden-Harris administration could be next.
All these factors show why this debate matters a lot more to the Democrat camp. If that wasn’t enough, reports have come out that the vice president has locked herself in a Pennsylvania hotel, with a method actor impersonating Trump to test her against his style.
Even more interestingly, two important women are making a return. Hillary Clinton, who gained a 6% lead on average when she was debating Trump in 2016, is backing Kamala. She has advised her to rattle the former president and provoke him into seeming unprofessional and unqualified.
On the other hand, another moment maker is backing Trump. Hawaiian Representative Tulsi Gabbard is widely credited as the person who sunk the Harris campaign during her first bid for top office, alleging that she used her power as a prosecutor in San Francisco to uphold slave prison labor.
The inclusion of these experienced aides, both with a proven track record of moments and attacks, is bound to make the debate even more interesting.
Historically, debates tend not to swing elections. They may create short-term term gains in the poll, but these generally fizzle out way before the American electorate goes to vote. However, this time may be different. 2024 has been a year of many firsts and exceptions, including the latest-ever start to a campaign by a candidate from a major party. Elections are not decided by historical trends, but by the effects the candidate's actions and words have on voters.
Presidential debates are defined by moments that go into political history, and this upcoming debate and its stakes are set to create many that will live on in memory.
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