Trump and Harris on the ABC moderated Presidential Debate. Note the ex-Resident''s subdued hair and make up and Harris's confident smile.
Note--This is one of the posts that ran away with me and took two days to finish. Sorry for the inconvenience.
So, about Tuesday night’s big event, the one everyone is still talking about. As a part time petty pundit on this blog I guess I should add my two-cents. I doubt if commentary I make will be new or surprising to anyone who has been paying attention. No doubt our astute readers are among those avidly engaged. Here are some random observations.
While Vice President Kamala Harris spent five days in private and intense preparation to face the former White House resident. He, meanwhile, couldn’t be bothered to be coached or practice again stand-ins for the Veep. The best they could do was get him to sit down for a couple of hours and listen to aids at the other end of the table casually bantered about issues and policy hoping that something would magically stick. Donal Trump was, as usual, supremely confident that he could go out and show ‘em his old buck and wing, that his adoring legions would lap up every lie and rant, and that the magnetism of his personality would shock and awe not only his opponent but the media and cultural elites who have mocked and scorned him.
About the only real impact his staff and advisors could have was on the literal cosmetics of the presentation. Aware that without Joe Biden their candidate was the undeniable old man of the race, they had to try for a more youthful and vigorous look. Fat chance of that. The best that they could do was fire the retired Earl Scheib spray painter who used to apply his orange finish and replace him with a talented mortuary cosmetologist who applied a lighter base touched-up lips for an almost alive look. Instead of his old golden retriever comb-over/pompadour now salted by a touch of gray as seen in recent campaign appearances he took to the platform with a subdued champaign color do. There has been some debate about how much of that color was due to his hair stylists and how much was a product of studio lighting.
But such tinkering was wasted on this sow’s ear. He entered the stage with a dissolute wave at a non-existent crowd and quickly took up position behind his podium with a scowl firmly affixed to his face.
The opening handshake was a test of dominance. Harris's confident stride up to Trump behind his podium and cheery introduction caught Trump off his guard.
Harris strode onto the stage with a confident smile, mane of hair shining like a shampoo ad, a slim black suite, and killer shoes. She by-passed her lectern and crossed the space between them to offer her hand to Trump. At first, I thought he was pulling a power move to force Harris to come to him. But later I learned that the initiative was all hers—as she grasped his hand, she introduced herself, “Hi, I’m Kamala Harris!” The two had never met. So much for the famed Trumpian intimidation.”
I watched on NBC since official host ABC is currently unavailable on my streaming service due to a contract dispute with Disney. During the televised commentary before the debate began hot shot political reporters and guest pundits agreed that Harris needed to introduce herself to the sliver of undecided voters who some how “don’t know anything about her.” They noted that her experience as a prosecutor would stand her well but warned her not to engage him in a battle of charges and counter charges She should hold herself aloof from the circus next door lest she should appear—unspoken wink/nod—bitchy instead of commanding.
As for Trump the same gaggle of newsies and candidate surrogates, there was nothing they could do but roll their eyes in one fashion or another. Trump could not be restrained by any caution to stick to issues and hold off on invective, and contain his bent for ridiculous stories. Trump would be Trump and it was only a matter of time before the wheels came off. The MAGA designates and embarrassed looking Republican office holders, could only hope that his invincible base would hold and that racism and misogyny would drive White men into the camp.
Harris came out briefly introduced herself as mostly a daughter of the middle class who understood the struggles of families striving to keep their heads above water while encouraging the next generation to succeed. The contrast to the tycoon who started out with a $400,000+ gift from his land lord father; bankrupted businesses; cheated and chiseled on customers, contractors, and employees; committed bank fraud and a laundry list of indictable offenses in multiple jurisdictions; has been convicted of felonies; was impeached by the House of Representatives for his role in the January 11 Capitol siege; and, by the way has been ordered to pay millions to a victim of his sexual predatory behavior. There it was all in one dump.
Donald took the bait and was off and running launching a blistering personal attack on Harris and then accusing her of responsibility for “millions” of criminal/psycho/diseased/terrorist hoards overwhelming real Americans. Harris looked on with a satisfied smile. From then on she would poke him with a stick and he would go wildly more out of control. Most notably, she got him to repeat as gospel a story pushed on the far fringes of right wing social media and promoted by Veep candidate J.D. Vance that immigrants were killing and eating pet dogs and cats in Springfield, Ohio. Harris roared with laughter. Moderator David Muir was quick to fact check the claim reporting that the city manager said flatly that there had been no reports of anything of the kind. Flustered, Trump could on repeat that “I saw on TV…”
In between Trump eruptions Harris dodged some direct questions about her evolving policy views over time that would have required her to throw Joe Biden or some long-time allies under the bus, but she was able to turn aside Trump’s claim she is a Marxist by staking moderate ground in the one proposal she detailed—an aid to entrepreneurs grant program for start-up small business. She also made defending and preserving women’s reproductive health and LGBTQ+ rights, advocating sensible gun regulations, and preserving democratic government and the rule of law—all positions popular with critical swing voters, especially middle-class women and young people but an anathema to religious and cultural conservatives.
Abortion was such a thorny issue for Trump the he denied supporting a national abortion ban and bragged that his Supreme Court appointments, had over-turned Roe v. Wade to return the issue to the states “like everyone wanted.” Not only did such waffling risk offending abortion ban absolutists, but it patently failed to placate anxious women. Flailing in desperation he let loose with another wild whopper the “post birth” abortions would be legal in Tim Waltz’s Minnesota and other states. That drew a quick fact check by the other moderator—no such laws are on the books or even contemplated.
On foreign policy, Trump tried to blame the deaths of Americans during the evacuation of Kabul on the Biden-Harris administration and charged that her election would lead directly to the destruction of Israel. Threading the needle between her long-standing support of Isreal and calling for an end to the brutal war on the people of Gaza was a challenge for Harris but seemed sane and rational. On the counter attack Harris roasted Trump for his coziness and fealty to Vladamir Putin, admiration of strongmen dictators around the world, his attacks on NATO and other long-time allies, and his support for Russian aggression against Ukraine. In response Trump called Hungarian neo-fascist strongman Viktor Orbán as a character witness. Harris could have slapped the podium and shouted, “I rest my case.”
But the debate, such as it was, continued through wrangling about the economy. In closing Trump had only spittle and snarl left which he let out like an un-tied balloon—a lot of hot air propelling a fancy flight before collapsing on the floor empty and spent. Harris was cool and poised.
The gaggles of talking heads in the post-debate analysis were in semi-stunned agreement that Harris not only won the debate, but handed Trump his ass. Designated MAGA shills were at a loss to find a way to declare victory or even to dismiss the damage caused by their candidate’s meltdown. Various panels of “undecided voters” on network and cable lopsidedly thought Harris was the victor and when asked some said the debate had changed their minds. In the unkindest cut of all Fox News flatly admitted that the debate was a disaster for Trump.
Then Taylor Swift identifying herself as a childless cat lady endorsed Harris and nearly melted down social media. Even more impressive or ominous depending on your point of view, 400,000 people flowed Swift’s link to Code Blue register to vote.
Overnight polls showed Harris with a significant bump over Trump nationally. But the popular vote, no matter how lop-sided, is meaningless in the Electoral College where Republicans have institutional, locked in advantage. The election will hang on a half dozen or so results in swing states. Harris got a narrower boost in those states to take slender lead or tie.
Democrats and critical target voters were ecstatic and more than a little smug flooding the internet with triumphant memes. Many seemed to think that the debate was a knock out punch and that Harris could, you should pardon my expression, waltz to the Whitehouse. But then they got a splash of cold water when a new Michigan poll showed Harris once again lagging Trump. The debate had changed no minds. It also exposed a weakness for Harris in the state with the largest and most important block of Muslim-Americans. Support in that critical community is tepid at best and many leaders are urging boycotting the Presidential race this November. For similar reasons many of the huge numbers of voters and potential voters in the state’s large universities, may also sit-out over Gaza.
The Harris campaign did reap a huge swell in campaign donations, much of it from relatively small and first time doners. The top of the ticket and major surrogates are doubling down on campaign swings in the contested states. Harris practically qualifies for residency in Pennsylvania.
On the other side, Trump and his allies have doubled down on the most ridiculous and easily disproved lie—the unhinged migrants eat pets story. They have specifically blamed Hattians and are attacking the city of Springfield, Ohio. Bomb threats have been made and militia chatter suggests going to the city to take things into their own hands. Hattians, many of whom have experienced political violence at home, are fearful of random street assaults, as well as attacks on schools and places that have sheltered and supported them. On Friday Trump called a news conference to announce that he would begin his mass deportations in Springfield if elected.
Buckle down, it’s still going to be a bumpy ride.
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