ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Kamala Harris opened Tuesday night’s presidential debate by walking across the stage to corner Donald Trump behind his podium for a handshake.
“Kamala Harris,” the Democratic vice president said, introducing herself to her Republican opponent who has made a mockery of saying her name.
The move proved to be a harbinger of what was to come.
The debate in Philadelphia left viewers with the picture of a former president often goaded into broken-sentence ramblings and a former prosecutor pushing for a different future.
“Harris did not have a perfect night, but she had the strong performance she needed, and I think the debate really ended on her terms,” UNC Asheville political science associate professor and co-chair Dr. Ashley Moraguez said. “She successfully painted herself as a forward-looking candidate and left Trump on the defensive about his record and re-litigating past grievances.”
Where Harris presented her plans for policies on abortion, the economy, immigration and handling foreign issues, Trump often delved into rambling answers while repeating blatant falsehoods about migrant crime, late-term abortions, inflation, his criminal trials and the 2020 election. He also brought up false stories about immigrants eating cats and dogs and frequently appeared angry.
ABC News moderators corrected Trump on several points, including the dog and cat story, that some states under Democratic leadership want to allow abortions after birth and repeating incorrect statistics about crime rates.
“I do not know the extent to which undecided voters were Trump’s target audience in this debate, but, regardless, I find it unlikely that he swayed many,” Moraguez said. “He did not really reveal anything new about himself or his stances on issues, except perhaps on the issue of abortion. He had a real opportunity to clarify where he stands on the national stage after weeks of mixed messaging and shifting stances. However, he then pointedly avoided answering the question of whether he would veto a national abortion ban if elected. Abortion is a vulnerable issue for Trump in this election. However, Trump’s performance likely played well to his base of supporters and could help with mobilization.”
However, Harris delivered a clear message in defense of a woman’s right to choose.
“One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government and Donald Trump certainly should not be telling a woman what to do with her body,” Harris said.
Moraguez thinks the stakes were higher for Harris.
“She needed to shore up her base as well as introduce herself to undecided voters, who indicate in polls they still don’t know her well. I think she likely filled in a lot of the holes for voters at the debate. She brought in her biography, particularly her middle-class roots. She played up her accomplishments. She also positioned herself as someone who is trying to help the average voter and characterized Trump as someone who is in it for himself. I expect she will experience a boost in the polls, though it’s unclear how sustained it will be,” Moraguez said.
Harris brought up the former president’s bankruptcies, criminal convictions and the disdain of generals, former aides and other officials who had served with him. She continued to hit him with jabs about shrinking crowd sizes at his rallies, saying people left early because they were bored.
“People don’t leave my rallies. We have the biggest rallies, the most incredible rallies in the history of politics,” Trump said.
While neither candidate dug too deeply into their policies or plans, Moraguez said they didn’t need to.
“Research shows that most voters prioritize candidates who share their values and that this can take priority over policy for many voters, especially undecided voters,” the professor said. “Overly detailed and wonky answers can turn voters off or hurt impressions in a televised debate. That being said, Trump’s policy discussions were particularly muddled, which did not do him any favors. I also think Harris missed the opportunity to provide a straightforward answer to the question of why some of her policy stances have changed over time, since that is of concern to some voters. She was smart to say that her values have not changed, but I think she could and should have addressed the question more directly, as well.”
Early in the debate, Trump was more disciplined, sticking to the issues.
“However, he quickly got angry, and it brought out the worst tendencies in him for a debate — his messaging became less clear, and he reverted to insulting Harris rather than speaking to voters,” Moraguez said.
Harris, on the other hand, appeared to stick to her message.
“She wanted to go into this debate introducing herself to the voters, explaining her values and giving just enough on policy to assuage concerns. I think she largely accomplished that. She was also very disciplined in establishing a contrast between herself and Trump on almost every question. In terms of a policy highlight, I think her discussion of abortion was her clearest, most unequivocal, and most powerful of the night,” Moraguez said.
The vice president offered a vision for the future. The former president seemed stuck in the past.