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| Screen shot from the ABC News telecast of the debate. |
The first debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump took place last night at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, hosted by ABC News and moderated by reporters David Muir and Linsey Davis. The debate was televised live with no audience in the hall. The Boston Globe gives some highlights of the nearly two-hour debate:
In case anyone who missed it wants to watch the whole debate, it's available from ABC News here.
What I Say: I was disapointed in Kamala's performance; I say that knowing she must have been under tremendous pressure to perform well, and no doubt prepared arduously for this debate. All the talking heads on the Left are jubilant this morning, saying she "cleaned Trump"s clock" and suchlike. She spoke well, and she got in a few zingers, true. But five minutes in, I was shouting at the TV screen: Answer the question, for God's sake!
To me, the whole thing was rather like watching Eleanor Roosevelt debate Al Capone. She was nice, and he was nasty. She came across as very smart, very articulate, and very high-minded, which warmed every Democrat's heart. She did not descend to Trump's level, which was right; but time and again I thought her answers were vague, evasive generalities that changed nobody's mind or vote. (Where is Joan Crawford when you need her?)
What would have changed minds and votes? I don't know, exactly. I just feel that Trump's rhetoric was simple, direct, and forceful - things any old shitkicker could understand, and many would cheer. Harris's approach, on the other hand, was to my way of thinking a bit abstract, a bit muddled, a bit lofty, a bit Elizabeth Warren-ish. That don't sit well with the plain folks, and there are millions of 'em.
Yes, Kamala said a lot of things to Trump's face that all of us sensible people have wanted to say for years; but what did that accomplish? Criticism rolls off him like water off a duck's back. What did Kamala say that made anyone want to vote for her, as distinct from voting against Trump?
Now, maybe I'm all wet, and she really did trounce him in the debate. But I was listening expectantly to hear something that would get the attention of the folks who live all over the very red state of Texas - and not just the rural areas, either. And I didn't hear it.
Perhaps I am too critical; I do dearly want Harris and Walz to win this election, and Trump to just blow away like the tumbleweeds far out in the West Texas nothingness. Maybe Kamala did do just fine; but maybe my down-home intuition is right. I guess we'll see what happens.
What did you think of the debate, my truckbuddies? I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
P. S. -- Whoa now. That David Muir is a fine journalist. Never heard of him before, but I sure did like what I saw: smart, strong, suave, and not too bad looking, either.
Actually, I thought both he and Linsey Davis did an excellent job as moderators, despite Trump's continual mike-hogging. They both fact-checked him a number of times, in a calm and dignified way. Excellent.
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