But all too often he simply misses golden opportunities to convey certain messages Americans need to hear. Especially those who are independent or undecided voters.
The debate last night was mediocre at best. I don't think it served to do much to change the course or move any needles. For either candidate, by the way. This was not really a debate for Democrats or Republicans who have already made up their minds. This debate was for those who are still on the fence.
To be fair, this debate was more for those voters who are mostly on the fence about Harris more than Trump. People already know who Donald Trump is and they have the past four years when he was president to go on. They have heard the messages, seen the interviews, and watched the rallies.
Trump is far from a mystery.
But that leads me to asking what in the hell was on the mind of ABC when they asked the questions? Especially the ones they asked Harris. It's not a mystery that the Kamala Harris front and center today is not the same Kamala Harris we saw for the past 3 1/2 years, and I think ABC should have dug more into that.
What the American people wanted to know was, "What is that you want to say to the American people to separate yourself from...yourself, and the positions you held for so long, and what changed your mind? Are these a change of heart that you are truly committed to now, or did you simply change your positions for political reasons? If you felt, before the nomination, that your positions may be unpopular and perhaps make you unelectable considering how radical some of them were, how can we now be assured you don't still hold these positions personally while stating different positions publicly?"
On top of that, she kept saying, "We're going to do this," and "We're going to do that." But when did ABC challenge her on those statements and ask, "Where were you for the past 3 1/2 years when all of these problems you say are problems happened under your watch alongside Biden?"
Why did they not challenge her about lying to the American people about President Biden's health? Because isn't that an important thing to consider? If you are fit to be Commander in Chief, shouldn't you be able to recognize a grave threat that comes from within the White House itself that poses danger to American lives and the state of the country?
If you would hide that, what else might you hide?
ABC could have and should have challenged her on the "record." For example, they could have asked her about one of the key concerns on most American's minds. Inflation. They could have challenged her on her claims of price gouging which everyone knows was not the reason inflation happened. They could have asked her how she plans to tackle inflation differently than Biden has.
And why did ABC not put her to task more on the border? Another key issue of concern to voters across both aisles. Why did they not press her harder on the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal which cost American lives and left billions of dollars worth of American military equipment on the ground and in the hands of the Taliban? Why not push her more on what happened and what her thoughts were on the breakdown of communication between her and Putin and Zelinsky that resulted in Putin invading Ukraine anyway?
They didn't ask her much about the economy. And when she made the claim several times that Trump's plans would cost American's $4,000 more a year to afford, why didn't they remind her of the additional $11,000 Americans must spend annually to pay for inflation, and what impact she feels that has had?
Needless to say, many opportunities were lost here. But on both sides. ABC missed the opportunity to give us a better picture of what can only be classified as, "The new and improved Kamala Harris." But Trump missed many opportunities as well to clearly state his differences and convey a stronger message to rebuke many of Harris' claims and position shifts.
Overall, neither candidate did well in my opinion. Still, I think Trump won it. But not on substance. He won it simply because there are fewer questions we need to have answered by Trump than need to be answered by Harris. Harris was the focus here. And we didn't really learn much about her at all. For that reason, I contend she lost, because the things the independents and undecideds wanted to know were simply all questions left unanswered.
She delivered talking points and campaign slogans rather than offer solutions or explanations of her sudden change in ideology on myriad issues.
Fox News has offered an invite for a second debate in October. I think both candidates need to agree to it, because I think both candidates did not accomplish their goal on this one.
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© 2024 Jim Bauer
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