10 Things Kamala Must Do at the Debate Tonight.
This is Not an Even Fight. The Focus will Be on Her.
Tonight is the first, and possibly only, debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. The last debate Trump won basically by default by Biden self-immolating before a national audience. If you go back and watch what Trump said during that debate, it was pretty crazy and rhapsodic as well, but not nearly to the extent Biden’s incoherence was. Biden had to drop out and here we are.
Now, debates seldom actually play a role in who wins the election. They’re more made for TV events documenting a particular stage in the process, and any bump or dip in the polls following any debate usually is gone a week later. Still, it’s important to understand that this time, this is not an even fight. Trump has been through plenty of these, said rambling, horrible, ridiculing things, said things that for any other candidate are disqualifying, and yet still finds himself even odds of winning this election. His cultish devotees are so on board the Trump train, he could walk out with Jim Jones glasses and a barrell of kool-aid and his followers will suck it down like it was water turned to wine. In that vein, Kamala has a distinct disadvantage; her campaign has only been on for a couple months, and the Democratic Party is a fractious entity of various ideas only currently united in their disdain for Trump.
So with that in mind, as we get geared up for the debate this evening, here are 10 unsolicited suggestions for Kamala Harris tonight. Some of it no doubt she has already heard from her advisors. Some of it, is more for her supporters than her. But the main thing to keep in mind though, is that its just one night.
Trump will be the racist, sexist pig he has always been. Rise above it. There are those Democrats that want her to take the race and sex issue right to Trump. That is a trap. The more she talks about it, the easier it will be for Trump to pick off the swing voters that matter to her; white men in PA, MI and WI. To her credit, since becoming the nominee Harris has been excellent at downplaying the precedential nature of her campaign. When flat out confronted with it by Dana Bash, Harris smartly deferred saying simply “Next question.” She should continue to do so. A great model for this was Carly Fiorina in the Primary debates. When Trump said something sexist, she didn’t directly retort. She didn’t have to. All she said was that millions of women already heard what Trump said. Checkmate.
Harris’s “strength” is in being a prosecutor. She should not be seen as “Taking the case” to Trump. When Harris was in the Senate, she was exceptional at questioning witnesses in committees. Debates are different. In debates against Trump he has been confronted with actual facts by opponents and moderators to no avail. It won’t work. Moments like these deliver great fireworks but seldom a difference. It’ll turn into a shouting match or he’ll just deflect and turn it around on her in some way. A far more effective strategy is to just factually point out his deficiencies from his administration and how you’ll be different.
Belittle Trump. The thing Trump hates most is being seen as small. Don’t prosecute him. Ridicule him. Make him an ongoing joke of the night. If he goes off the rails in a rant, offer him some ketchup for the walls. If the conversation turns to inflation, bring up that it started under COVID, which he himself had the last election season. Point out his own hand picked Secretary of State called him a fucking moron, and say it just like that on live television. If she’s not there, ask Donald to tell Melania you said hello.
Make Trump Angry. This ties into the above. The most decisive points of the 2020 debates with Biden were when Trump went off script and became unhinged. What do people remember? “Proud boys stand back and stand by…” and Biden lamenting “C’mon man.” Trump looks his worst when he is off script. Everyone knows it. He’s dying to though, he can’t help himself. Just lead him to do that.
Avoid explanations. No doubt the McKinsey consultants have already told her this one. She has a tendency to articulate facts of the case and build it up for an argument. It’s the attorney in her; we’re trained this way. I do it all the time too. It also reeks of condescension to your audience that they don’t understand an issue. Instead, point out an item or two, someone who benefits, some way to improve something and move on.
Minimize canned talking points. Against Trump they seldom stand out. And worse, he’s likely to point out how disingenuine they are. Be more contemporaneous, more off the cuff. If you’re overprepared, you run the risk of what killed Biden’s campaign and looking like a deer in headlights when the onslaught of misinformation hits you…
…But have one good canned retort that will be the dagger. “There you go again.” “You’re no Jack Kennedy.” Trump will no doubt go for the throat at some point. He’ll probably repeat some sad, ignorant line he’s said 100 times before. Harris’ team should be ready with a few zingers on them. Something that everyone can agree with when they look at Trump. Walz called him “weird” and it stuck. Perhaps just saying something memorable along those lines will do the trick.
Remind people about where Biden started. Economy in free fall. Inflation rising before they took office. Pandemic ravaging AROUND THE WORLD. Trump telling Putin he could do anything he wanted with Ukraine, as Ukraine begged for help and he tried blackmailing Zelensky. People have flat out forgotten. We have doubled the Dow since Biden took over. Bring it up to his face.
Project 2025. Dobbs. Bring it up. Repeatedly. They’re toxic.
Stay happy, optimistic. I realize this is impossible with the spectre of insanity off to your right. But the best revenge is living well. If you can demonstrate that his broadsides aren’t having an effect, you’ve already won. If you can stay flat out happy, it can be infectious.
If she can do those things, she should have one helluva night.
PurpleAmerica’s Final Word on the Subject
“Don’t wrestle in the mud with a pig. You both get dirty but the pig likes it.”
Many good points here but my two favorites are 1) rise above the muck when cheetoskin tries to attack with some insult or blatant lie. How many times can she say “same old Donald” or “next question “. 2) make the orange felon angry with ridicule. But do it subtly and with a smile. That always makes for good “reality TV”. Watch him turn from orange to bright red. I can hardly wait!