Not a Great Night for Trump, but This Election is Far From Over
By the end of the debate, this much was clear: one candidate had been well-prepared for the debate and the other had not. Nevertheless, the debate was not a complete train wreck for the former president either.
Although it kills me to say so, former President Donald Trump’s performance at the ABC News showdown in Philadelphia on Tuesday night failed to meet the moment. Those of us hoping he would deliver a humiliating Tulsi Gabbardesque takedown of Vice President Kamala Harris were sorely disappointed.
Trump repeatedly allowed himself to take Harris’s bait, something he should have expected and been prepared for. Rather than pivoting and going on offense, he instead became rattled and defensive. He wasted precious time responding to Harris’s attacks on irrelevant topics, such as Trump’s calls for vengeance against the Central Park Five, five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem who were wrongfully convicted for raping and beating a white woman in 1989.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Harris’s performance was her nonstop smirking while Trump was speaking. Her expressions ranged from disdainful to derisive. They were distracting, disrespectful, and childish. And, reminiscent of then-Vice President Al Gore’s unforgettable sighs and eye rolls during his first debate with then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush in 2000, they began to grate early on.
Normal people *hate* this attitude
And Kamala was doing this stuff all night https://t.co/GMPeABfLhy
— Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) September 11, 2024
Harris told lie after lie after lie. She began by tying Trump to Project 2025, a conservative roadmap for America’s future coordinated by the Heritage Foundation. Although Trump has repeatedly made it clear he does not support this initiative, Harris continues to use this line of attack to scare voters.
Harris also insisted that Trump would sign a national ban on abortions. Although he declined to say he would not sign such a bill, he explained it was a moot point because the issue of abortion has been returned to the states.
She even lied about hoaxes that have been long-debunked by left-leaning fact checkers. For example, Harris accused Trump of saying Neo-Nazis and white supremacists were “very fine people” after the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, and that there would be a “bloodbath” if he lost the election, carefully omitting the context.
But, despite her countless lies and obnoxious facial expressions, the most unexpected takeaway from Harris’s performance was that she was prepared. Gone were the “word salads” we’ve come to expect from her. Instead the vice president was uncharacteristically articulate even if her words were laced with lies. Remarkably so. She had literally memorized her handlers’ carefully worded talking points and delivered her lines as an actor would, complete with emotions and hand gestures. She took five days off the campaign trail to do so.
To be fair, Harris wasn’t Trump’s only opponent on the debate stage. He was, of course, outnumbered by 3:1. Those who expected the relative fairness of CNN’s Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, who moderated the June debate between Trump and President Joe Biden, were likely surprised by the unconcealed bias of the ABC moderators, David Muir and Linsey Davis, who attempted to fact-check Trump in real-time, while giving Harris a pass on her numerous, and sometimes egregious lies.
[Note: On Monday, the Media Research Center released the results of a study which found that between July 21 and Sept. 6, Muir, who hosts ABC’s “World News Tonight,” had provided 100% positive coverage of Harris and 93% hostile coverage of Trump.]
This debate is three vs one — the ABC moderators clearly shilling for Kamala Harris. https://t.co/DbpaSLIUi0
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) September 11, 2024
It’s also worth noting why Harris was so willing to debate Trump on ABC — and only ABC. Last month, the New York Times reported that Harris’s “longtime friend,” Dana Walden, is a top-ranking executive at the Walt Disney Company, “whose portfolio includes ABC News.”
The Times made it clear that Harris and Walden, whom they noted “is both revered and feared in Hollywood,” are not mere acquaintances. Describing the bond between the two, the authors wrote: “But rare is the genuine, enduring friendship like that between Ms. Harris and Ms. Walden. Their closeness is no secret in Los Angeles and Washington circles, though it has become more notable in light of Ms. Harris’s ascension to the top of the ticket — and ABC’s confirmation on Thursday that the network would host a prime-time debate that could make or break the vice president’s political future.” I reported on this story here.
In fact, as Megyn Kelly explains in the video below, Walden is even responsible for Harris’s introduction to her husband, Doug Emhoff.
Megyn Kelly's rant about the debate is spot on. She speaks for many of us.
"I'm disgusted." pic.twitter.com/FpYEj84uGI— Ellie A (@EllieGAnders) September 11, 2024
At any rate, by the end of the night, this much was clear: one candidate had been well-prepared for the debate and the other had not.
Nevertheless, the debate was not a debacle for the former president either. He was strong on the economy and on border security. He also portrayed Harris as a Marxist and accused her of supporting “unrestricted abortion-on-demand until birth,” a position that’s a bridge too far even for many pro-choicers.
🚨KAMALA HARRIS REFUSES TO SUPPORT ANY RESTRICTIONS ON ABORTION WHATSOEVER.
DISGUSTING. pic.twitter.com/27ymBa85MI
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 11, 2024
Moreover, post-debate flash polls and focus group discussions showed that voters were not all buying what the vice president was selling.
Below, a participant in a CBS News focus group said that Trump “spoke facts.” Another noted that Harris was trying to hide behind a moderate “facade,” just as Biden had done in 2020.
PENNSYLVANIA VOTER: President Trump "spoke facts" — while Kamala just "repeated everything that Biden has said in the past." pic.twitter.com/YvnvExVPXk
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 11, 2024
In the clip below, Dr. Phil asked members of a focus group which candidate they believe took a stronger stance on the border issue. Just four people chose Harris while a large majority chose Trump.
Who do you think took a stronger stance on the border issue?#Debate2024 pic.twitter.com/Z5ZAGrSm0i
— Dr. Phil (@DrPhil) September 11, 2024
In the following clip, an undecided voter tells Dr. Phil she “still didn’t get answers from Kamala to fundamental questions that we need to know as voters.” Specifically, she did not hear any details about Harris’s “economic plans,” adding that “we know that Donald Trump CAN fix the economy.”
UNDECIDED VOTER: I still didn’t get answers from Kamala to fundamental questions that we need to know as voters.
DR. PHIL: What did you not get an answer to?
VOTER: Her economic plans… and we know that Donald Trump CAN fix the economy.
pic.twitter.com/j3quhONiDK— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 11, 2024
CNN asked voters before and after the debate which candidate they feel would better handle the economy. In the pre-debate poll, 53% chose Trump and 37%, Harris. Post-debate, Trump had edged up to 55% while Harris declined to 35%.
BREAKING: A new CNN poll shows that Kamala Harris has LOST support of voters on who they trust to handle the economy, and Trump has gained
Pre-Debate
🔴Trump: 53% 🔵Kamala: 37%Post Debate
🔴Trump: 55% 🔵Kamala: 35%THEY ARE PANICKING pic.twitter.com/oIoQlcuJze
— George (@BehizyTweets) September 11, 2024
Trump ended on a strong note. He told voters, “They’ve had three and a half years to fix the border, three and a half years to create jobs, and all the things we talked about. Why hasn’t she done it?”
WATCH: President Trump's full closing statement at the presidential debate:
"They've had three and a half years to fix the border, three and a half years to create jobs, and all the things we talked about. Why hasn't she done it?" pic.twitter.com/tOiuJUYCsR
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 11, 2024
Overall, Trump did not have a great night. And, unfortunately, this debate is likely to be his only opportunity to confront Harris face to face on the abysmal failures of the Biden-Harris administration and on her radical past.
But the debate was not a train wreck for Trump either. And this election is far from over.
Elizabeth writes commentary for The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation and a member of the Editorial Board at The Sixteenth Council, a London think tank. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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Comments
ITS NOT IRRELEVANT!
ris’s attacks on irrelevant topics, such as Trump’s calls for vengeance against the Central Park Five, five black and Latino teenagers from H
it goes to the core of who THEY WANT US TO BELIEVE TRUMP IS
AND WHAT WE KNOW HIM TO BE
a man who wants justice to prevail
w/o justice nothing else matters
make $$$$$$$ but with the streets crawling with the no justice lunatics of the bailed out harris leftists ( like he spoke about!)
and your money means nothing because the enjoyment of life factor is negated by the criminally insane left
this is up to the intelligent people
the communist lovingnazis will always vote for government over the people
what will matter is who is watching the voter counters
we saw how the left cheated in 2020 and with the msm on their side any calls of cheating were met with “jail” time as the antidote to those that professed of the rigged election
Intelligent people? Kamala is working the Goebbels strategy “repeat a lie often enough and people will believe it!” and it seems to be working
“Trump repeatedly allowed himself to take Harris’s bait,”
I am totally shocked. For the last 12 years he’s been such a disciplined on-message candidate.
ah well, GOP will win the Senate. I said weeks ago it was time to focus on down ballot races. With a GOP senate and possibly house, there is not a lot of damage Harris can do. Certainly not more than the GOP is doing to themselves right now.
I think Trump can recover from this. Independent voters in focus groups – even at liberal outlets – are leaning toward Trump. It’s turning out that few people were satisfied with what little she actually revealed about herself.
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/some-undecided-voters-not-convinced-by-harris-after-debate-with-trump-2024-09-11/
Maybe Americans are a little smarter than we thought.
Trump certainly CAN recover from this, but as so many have said right along, he will need to stick to the REAL issues, especially how the Biden/Harris policies have made things so much worse for so many people.
If Trump is questioned about his debate performance, he should solemnly admit that he wishes he had been able to spend more time discussing the past 3 1/2 years, and how Harris’ TRUE intention is to continue in the same disastrous direction.
And they need to keep exposing her lies. She is a serial liar. And people don’t like to be lied to.
I don’t think Trump has to recover from anything. Conservative, Inc historically has very little insight into the American voter, particularly the working class. Trump clearly did not provide rehearsed answers, which means that his statements reflected his true beliefs. The naked honesty that he exhibited connects him to people.
Trump did not make any real gaffes, nor did he did not attack any ethnic groups. It is true that Kamala got under his skin, but people sympathized because she is annoying and fake. Trump was humanized by revealing his real emotions — she was not.
I think Trump’s performance will become increasingly appreciated in the days to come. Most of the Republicans that are critical of his performance seem to have accepted Trump as their second choice. He is taking a lot of flak from former DeSantis supporters and JFK, Jr supporters
Can he? yes. Will he? shrug. He’s Trump.
With NeverTrumpers and SomewhatTrumpers like this, who needs Leftists?
If this “debate” makes you lose hope, please step aside.
Let them
Eat Cats
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/589f8a516c116024897395965b2607e0a56c5809ef3b8d37c282bb91f4490559.jpg
Liberals always laugh when Trump says things that initially sound crazy. But they often turn out to be true. Remember early on in his presidency he said the deep state was tapping his communications and everyone said he was paranoid and ridiculous? He was right.
Actually, the Independents have been breaking BIGLEY for Trump and after last night, that didn’t change and some
Polls, not stripper polls, his support grew
So his not so good night might have been a good night after all’s
Think about it, in spite of the moderators doing their best to protect Harris at every turn and inject themselves in to the debate to the point of making Harris irrelevant everyone’s losing their minds that she merely came across as not terrible 🙄
I mean talk about setting the bar low but this must be a new even for the small c conservatives here at LI 😂😂
I didn’t even bother to watch.
Why?
Because anyone voting for Trump is still going to vote for Trump.
Anyone voting for Harris is still going to vote for Harris.
And the three people in the U.S.A. that are undecided I don’t care about.
Debates are largely irrelevant in my estimation. The previous black swan event in which President Beach Bum proved himself to be a dementia addled idiot is once in a lifetime at best.
“Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Harris’s performance was her nonstop smirking” It wasn’t smirking it was incredulity on what the nutty things Trump was saying. A sentiment any normal person would agree with.
What were the nutty things Trump said? Please be specific.
Preparation, schmeparation. No amount would have changed things. If Trump “prepared” as called for, he would not have come off as a genuine human, one that was rightfully angered by being peppered by false and fake actors.
As compared to a lady was giving a performance, gave word salads without the dressing, showed how easily she will lie, and who needed help from “journalists” to try and pull the wool over peoples’ eyes.
The more time passes, the better Trump will look, as Harris takes her performance on the road, without that long dress rehersal.
This is dumb you say Trump lost but then post a bunch of tweets that say that Trump won.
This is like saying that a baseball player in the bottom of the ninth with bases load screwed up because he did not hit a home run, only a suicide squeeze that scored the winning run.
I liked the way that one person described her attitude “haughty”.remeber in Nixon vs Kennedy the ones listening on the radio said Noxon won, the ones watching said that Kennedy won.
Agreed the title was misleading.
the problem is that the middle voters only remember one or two things from a potus debate. Once Trump said ‘eating dogs’ he guaranteed that none of Harris’s policy garbage would make the post-debate chatter.
“Last night’s debate between President Trump and Democrat nominee David Muir at @ABCNews was strange because there was an Indian woman from Canada standing on stage the entire time.” – Emerald Robinson
I love that! 😁
I thought it the best debate analysis EVUH.
Exactly! And notice she didn’t again answer the question of whether she was black. She skipped it entirely and called Trump racist.
CP5. Wrongfully convicted for raping and beating a white woman? OMG. They beat her senseless. They admitted doing so. The rape charge was wrong. I’d have to go look further. I don’t remember all of it, but a convict admitted to raping the woman after they almost killed her. The left took this to mean that they were innocent. Handing over millions of taxpayer dollars to these miscreants was pure politics. When people on our side of the tracks toe the party line on issues like this, I despair.
Oh, they were guilty! And they raped her too!
Here is a good write up of the facts by Ann Coulter
https://anncoulter.com/2014/04/23/what-you-wont-read-in-the-papers-about-the-central-park-five/
Yes, it was a train wreck. Just check the dozens of conservative web blogs this morning. There is a general consensus that Trump lost. Especially from those that have been supporting Trump. Sure, some Trump supporters who live in an echo chamber/bee hive/tunnel vision world believe that Trump won the debate because he talked just like he does at all of his rallies, but this is delusional. Why the hell does he go on and on about immigrants eating your pet dogs and cats? Why the hell does he think this is going to gain him votes with Independents and Undecideds? Vance’s cat ladies maybe? Is that who he is trying to convert? It’s absurd. Trump is his own worst enemy. He was totally unprepared for this debate, and he came off as old and befuddled, not as bad as Biden, but close. This election is Trump’s to lose, and only Trump’s. Not the mainstream media. Not the GOPe, one world globalists, Neocons, one worlders, Jewish bankers and Hollywood moguls, etc. etc. etc. This is all on Trump.
My take on this is that it is time to hunker down, double and triple your efforts to elect Republicans in the House and Senate down ballot, and hope and pray that we will be able to thwart President Harris. Our best hope now is to have a firm majority in the Senate and House to stop the worst of her Presidency, I don’t mean to open scabs on old wounds, but Ron DeSantis would have annihilated Harris. But here we are.
“not as bad as Biden, but close”
Anyone who thinks that should NEVER be seen as credible.
Absolutely right on, oldschool!!
I mean … really, what are these people thinking??
One hundred percent correct. Thanks for that.
Junior lives in La La Land.
Give me one good reason why a Never-Trump concern troll such as yourself should be considered credible.
I mean… in this post you’ve basically done what you always do, which is roll over onto your back and surrender.
I can only await the day until the Republican party ejects flamers like you.
I checked numerous constative blogs, none of which support your claims. I am guessing you checked RINO blogs, who are very much like Dems, both being self serving crooks.
JR, you ignorant slut.
With regards to this last paragraph, do not listen to this idiot. If you’re going to vote GOP downtime, then also vote GOP upticket.
NeverTrumpers and SomewhatTrumpers are grating beyond all hope.
Didn’t watch the debate but read as many articles on it as can so far.
The 2025 Project commercials are as much lies as Harris told and are approved by her.
The Harris Propaganda Ministry is using the 2025 Project just like it’s the Protocols of Zion that he is going to take over America.
I feel he did far better than most media and talking heads are giving him credit for. But that’s par for the course at this point. Kamala avoided actual responses to questions and repeated lies even after Trump very clearly corrected her. I hope most folks saw through this charade.
Holy s**t!! Stop crying. Trump did perfectly well. Harris not only lied but she did happen to concoct a bunch of her usual meaningless word salads – which so many people like this post’s author seemed to miss. I’m not sure why since it was all glaringly obvious as the event was unfolding and she was spewing circular grammatical forms one after the other.
“I HAVE A PLAN!!! I HAVE A PLAN!!! I HAVE A PLAN!!! …”
Yeah. Great stuff.
It does not even matter about the silly fake fact checking on Trump and the absence of fact checking on Komrade Kamala. People know that crime is up – way up. People know that Haitians are committing savage atrocities in Springfield (and many other places – and the Haitians are certainly not the only invaders doing this), protestations of the propaganda hosts notwithstanding and Komrade Kamala’s fake facial expressions aside.
Trump did well and his poll numbers will be up in the next week or two to show for it as people digest what actually happened.
Further, with the left claiming that Komrade Kamala doing so well (LOL – as if anyone believes her calling Trump “weak” was serious) they will be pressured to force her to actually start doing some real Q+As and interviews. And THAT will be something to behold!!
Remeber “Ze Plan” she explained in France?
https://thespectator.com/topic/kamala-harris-bizarre-french-accent-paris/
I found it interesting that Kamala’s saga of her poor professor mother struggling to buy a house was only able to finally purchase one when Komrade Kamala was in her teens … which means (since the family moved to Canada when Komrade Kamala was 12) that she was talking about her mother buying a house in Canada. I wonder how many people think that tales of Canada are appropriate for an American Presidential campaign. Sure … better than tales of muslim doings in jakarta but, still … NOT AMERICA.
Emma Jo-Morris shows everyone the slum where Harris lived.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/09/06/exclusive-photo-essay-kamala-harriss-middle-class-upbringing-in-westmount-canada/
Wow, just took a look!
I don’t think she’s claimed it was a slum. But living in a fancy neighborhood doesn’t make you rich. They were a family of three living on a professor’s salary. In a rented house, which in that neighborhood can’t have been cheap. So that is definitely middle class living, exactly as she has claimed.
Why would such tales not be appropriate? The experience is the same, no matter which side of the border it happened.
Do you not understand what the concept of the nation-state is?? Tales of life in Canada are not appropriate for American political campaigns. Are you really too retarded to understand this simple concept or are you just driven to make an ass of yourself?
Go pester someone else with your stupidity. Sheesh.
I understand exactly what a nation-state is. I also understand that there is no reason in the world why stories set in Canada would be inappropriate in an American political campaign. The only way it could possibly be inappropriate would be if the experience of searching for housing were so different in the two countries that nothing about the experience in Canada could be relevant to an American campaign. But we all know that is not the case. Harris’s mother’s experience in Montreal was exactly the same as that of millions of people on this side of the arbitrary line we call the border. So the story was completely relevant and appropriate.
Honestly at the end of the day this was more of a litmus test of what you already thought of the candidates.
If you supported Trump before this, you thought he won. if you supported Kamala before this, you thought she won.
The actual undecideds in every group tested slightly leaned towards Trump after the debate, but not overwhelmingly, so he arguably ‘won’.
Regardless of who ‘won’ or not, the question is, did this change the state of the race?
No, not really. It didn’t shift much votes one way or the other. Which honestly is better for Trump than Kamala. Kamala NEEDS momentum, she NEEDS people to think she’s winning, and she didn’t get that out of last night.
“They’ve had three and a half years to fix the border, three and a half years to create jobs, and all the things we talked about. Why hasn’t she done it?”
—–
‘Nuff said.
FreedomToons summarized the entire debate DAYS before it actually happened.
Right down to the high-tech big-ass pearl earrings.
(Donald Trump not shown, as his presence was entirely optional to The Plan.)
Again I think he did just fine; he did himself. This is what the man is; he isn’t Ronald Regean. He’ spontaneous and genuine but has substance. She’s polished and robotic and a total empty headed void. So there’s your contrast. The important point is that us everyday unwashed masses saw something different than the conservative blogs and the democrat run state media. We saw one person who had a policies and a positive track record and another person who has a terrible record and “vibes”. I think media people spend way too much time on-line and in their tiny bubbles and forgot that America loved Donald Trump on the apprentice and that he’s been a TV. personality for decades. He knows how to put on a spectacle on that medium. Yes it will look like Jerry Springer but it will get the point across in an entertaining and memorable way. No one will forget his “eating the dogs line” that’s for sure. Just let him be who is and accept that he’s no great Winston Churchill. He has a hostile media that set Harris up for success and this was the best she could do. Honestly she under performed when you realize that the moderators were all her best-ies . He went into enemy waters and still comes out smelling like a daisy. I bet no other candidate could have done that.
After reading the comments to this post and watching the reactions of real Americans, I must admit you have a point. But I just wanted to see him spend more time on offense than he did on defense.
Although it kills me to say so, former President Donald Trump’s performance at the ABC News showdown in Philadelphia on Tuesday night failed to meet the moment. Those of us hoping he would deliver a humiliating Tulsi Gabbardesque takedown of Vice President Kamala Harris were sorely disappointed.
“Trump repeatedly allowed himself to take Harris’s bait, something he should have expected and been prepared for. Rather than pivoting and going on offense, he instead became rattled and defensive. He wasted precious time responding to Harris’s attacks on irrelevant topics, such as Trump’s calls for vengeance against the Central Park Five, five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem who were wrongfully convicted for raping and beating a white woman in 1989.”
——————
Exactly, and that is what the MSM will emphasize over and over. Trump didn’t need to do this. He keeps shooting himself in his own foot. When will he ever learn?
Fraud speaking.
“that is what the MSM will emphasize over and over”
Are you honestly of the opinion the MSM would say anything else, no matter what happened? You’re deluded.
One hundred percent correct. Thanks for that.
Junior lives in La La Land.
I am rarely a fan of the site at the link, but I noticed what they noticed.
https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2024/09/11/reuters-focus-group-swings-to-trump-after-debate-n3794354
An interesting interpretation.
The debate was like a scripted wrestling match where the villain won over the hero.
Nobody in the audience bothers to dispute that the villain won, but that doesn’t make them root for the villain.
It’s important to remember that Trump doesn’t have to convince Harris groupies to vote for him – they’re a lost cause anyhow.
Anyone wearing Kamala-glasses is going to see and hear what they want to see and hear at this point. The ones to convince are the independents and the undecideds, and if they’ve been slapped upside the head by reality during the past four years for Bidenomics, they should see through the bullcrap of Harris and her slobbering lackeys in the mainstream media.
When you need three on one to barely hold your own. That’s not a win, that just shows that you’re a loser. And that’s where Kamala is, the w**** is a loser.
w****
wench…
witch…
whore…
…
all three are suitable…
New phone, haven’t figured out how to turn off the swear filter for the voice input
???
why did you fear the first post and not let it be approved??
ITS NOT IRRELEVANT!
ris’s attacks on irrelevant topics, such as Trump’s calls for vengeance against the Central Park Five, five black and Latino teenagers from H
it goes to the core of who THEY WANT US TO BELIEVE TRUMP IS
AND WHAT WE KNOW HIM TO BE
a man who wants justice to prevail
w/o justice nothing else matters
make $$$$$$$ but with the streets crawling with the no justice lunatics of the bailed out harris leftists ( like he spoke about!)
and your money means nothing because the enjoyment of life factor is negated by the criminally insane left
if you fear this post then you are part of the anti usa crowd
so why not allow this post?
???
why did you fear the first post and not let it be approved??
ITS NOT IRRELEVANT!
ris’s attacks on irrele vant topics, such as Trump’s calls for vengeance against the Central Pa rk Five, five bl ack and Lat ino teenagers from H
it goes to the core of who THEY WANT US TO BELIEVE TRUMP IS
AND WHAT WE KNOW HIM TO BE
a man who wants justice to prevail
w/o justice nothing else matters
make $$$$$$$ but with the streets crawling with the no justice lunatics of the bailed out harris leftists ( like he spoke about!)
and your money means nothing because the enjoyment of life factor is negated by the criminally insane left
Trumps’ greatest weakness is he always takes the bait. Accepting a debate hosted and moderated by ABC, essentially a propaganda outlet for the democratic party, and granting them complete control, was a remarkably bad political blunder. Will he ever learn?
he didnt care about the bait
just the debait
so he is not fearful as you on the left want him to be
maga
Did it sway swing state independents to Kumella? No.
Was Kumella “charismatic” enough to inspire swing state Dems to mail their ballots in?
Also a no.
No one except illegal aliens and criminals is better off than they were 4 years ago. Trump could have pulled his pants down and mooned the moderators every time Kumella spoke and it would not win her a single vote.
I don’t think this debate changed anyone’s mind. Those who were gonna vote for Harris will still vote Harris. Those that were going to vote Trump are gonna vote Trump. The undecideds are still undecided. Think it was pretty much a net zero for everyone.
Now it was a squandered opportunity for Trump. I think he expected word salad Harris and didn’t get that and it threw him off.
From KH’s strategy, it looks more like a Turn-out election than a Sway the middle voters.
That isn’t great news because the Ds largely solved their turn out problem with ballot harvesting into drop boxes.
Never understood the concept of “Who won the debate?” Whoever you agree with is the obvious answer, so how can someone say “Harris won the debate, but I will never vote for her” (or substitute Trump in that sentence) ?
One candidate comes out looking better than the other and gets support, or deposed by a palace coup.
But it hasn’t been. It’s been returned to the legislatures, state and federal Some Congressional Republicans are pushing for a national ban; it’s fair enough to ask Trump whether he would sign such a bill were it to pass.
And it would be fair enough for him to reply that that is not a realistic scenario, because no matter how well the GOP does in the next two elections there is no chance of electing a congress that would pass such a bill, so he will never be faced with that question.
There are undoubtedly more, but two instances I noted where Trump missed a golden opportunity:
The first question asked whether Harris believed whether Americans are better of now than they were four years ago. Harris, naturally, evaded the question. In responding, Trump should have noted Harris’ refusal to answer the question “because she can’t.” Claiming that Americans are better off would have been seen through by any but the staunchest Harris supporte3rs (or Trump haters) and admitting that they are not better off would have been an admission that the administration which she holds high rank has been an economic bust.
Later, Harris claimed that Trump had invited Taliban leaders to Camp David. Assuming that this is correct (and I don’t recall such an invitation), Trump’s rejoinder could have been “I invited the Taliban to visit Camp David; you handed them Bagram.”
Having said all that, Trump won on substance but Harris won on style.