The Debate Was a Bit of a Flop
By Jim Bauer
@porwest (88149)
United States
September 11, 2024 8:03am CST
If the purpose for the Democrats last night in the debate was to inform the American people who Kamala Harris truly is, then it was a huge failure. ABC completely missed the mark on asking the RIGHT questions about the STARK contrast between Kamala Harris' positions BEFORE she was the nominee and the ones she supposedly holds AFTER becoming the nominee.
That's what the American people wanted to hear. "What is it 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? Convictions or political reasons? If you felt BEFORE the nomination your positions were unpopular and perhaps make you unelectable, how can we now be assured you don't still hold those positions personally while stating different positions publicly?"
On top of that, where were the challenges to the "record?" Why did they not challenge her claims of price gouging as a cause of inflation? Everyone knows that's not what happened. ABC MUST know that's not what happened. Why not call her out on that and ask her what she plans to do differently than Biden to fix the problem?
Why did they not put her to task more on the issue of the border? Why did they not press harder on the Afghanistan withdrawal? Why did they not question what SHE thought the breakdown was when she visited with Putin and Zelinsky and yet COULD NOT stop the invasion by Russia into Ukraine?
Why did they not ask about the economy, especially when she claimed Trump's plans would cost Americans $4,000 more a year to afford it when inflation has caused Americans to spend $11,000 more a year to deal with?
Why did they not ask her to elaborate on her tax plans? Namely the unrealized gains tax proposal?
Look, I think both candidates did not do well overall in the debate. I think Trump missed a great deal of opportunities and lost focus. But Kamala Harris was smoke and mirrors and one lie after another.
If I am being fair, and I always do my best to be exactly that, for some undecided voters I am not convinced this debate answered any real questions about either candidate for them.
The difference is we already know Trump, and because of that he gains points even in a poor debate performance. But Kamala Harris is the one we need to more about, and that the independents wanted to know more about, and she did not deliver on that.
For that reason, I contend Trump technically won the debate, but only on the basis of the lack of real substance which was needed from Harris.
5 people like this
6 responses
@marguicha (221837)
• Chile
11 Sep
I watched the debate at the BBC in my country. And later on someone asked a Democrat and a Republican what they thought about the debate. The Republican was very disapointed with Trump and I, from the outside, thought that he only attacked Harris instead of proposing something (even if later he does not do it). On the whole, I think that Harris did better.
4 people like this
@marguicha (221837)
• Chile
11 Sep
@porwest I´m following this election as closely as I can. But Republican people should guide what Trump says. That sentence about immigrants eating PETS was a shame. And if they do eat pets ((which I doubt) it is because a rich country will starve them. I don´t think that either, so the sentence was dumb. That and people killing born babies.
3 people like this
@xander6464 (43466)
• Wapello, Iowa
11 Sep
@porwest What the independent voters and undecided voters needed was an explanation of her sudden turn, and we never got that.
-------What they needed was a confirmation that Trump is stupid, unstable and unfit and they got it.
1 person likes this
@porwest (88149)
• United States
11 Sep
Harris did better in her performance. But she did not offer substance, which is the point here. How well she did was not as important as what she said, or didn't say, or more particularly, the questions that were not asked.
She could talk about fracking. But the point is she was against it until she was the nominee. She could talk about the border. But the point is she was directly responsible for one of the worst border crises we have had in decades.
The thing is, Kamala Harris changed nearly every single position she held until moments before she was announced as the nominee, and like I pointed out, you HAVE to question her motivations. If she is making the changes for political reasons, what does that say about her character? What does it say about how trustworthy she can be to keep her word? How can we be assured she actually suddenly now holds these new positions that she never held before?
What the independent voters and undecided voters needed was an explanation of her sudden turn, and we never got that.
2 people like this
@porwest (88149)
• United States
11 Sep
Trump's performance was admittedly not stellar IMO, but also was not as important as what was expected from Harris, which we did not get. So, technically, while Trump's performance was mediocre, Harris literally bombed. Not for her Democrats. But for the independents and undecideds who were seeking answers they never got.
Whether or not another debate happens is up for debate (pardon the pun). The question becomes, will any debate ask Harris the right questions, even if Fox does it? I tend to think not.
2 people like this
@marguicha (221837)
• Chile
11 Sep
@porwest One of our best old politicians and ex Presidents was so good that many people wanted to have him run again. I found him VERY clever when he said that for him politics was over.
1 person likes this
@xander6464 (43466)
• Wapello, Iowa
11 Sep
@porwest Trump's performance was admittedly not stellar IMO, but also was not as important as what was expected from Harris, which we did not get. So, technically, while Trump's performance was mediocre, Harris literally bombed. Not for her Democrats. But for the independents and undecideds who were seeking answers they never got.
----------The feedback I'm seeing from independents and undecideds is very pro-Kamala.
Keep watching the polls and we'll see what happens. Also, will Taylor Swift's tens of millions of fans make a difference?
3 people like this
@xander6464 (43466)
• Wapello, Iowa
11 Sep
You have a gift for understatement. "The Debate Was a Bit of a Flop" for Trump, in the same way the Hindenburg had kind of a rough landing.
It is true they should have pressed Trump's overwhelming connections to Project 2025 and his many many failures in government and the private sector.
But the panic over people eating pets was amusing and told the world everything it needs to know about DonOld.
@moffittjc (121460)
• Gainesville, Florida
12 Sep
I did not watch the debate, but this morning everyone I work with pretty much said that Harris won. And I work with a lot of Republicans.
@everwonderwhy (7215)
•
12 Sep
ABC News' David Muir and Lindsey Davies ZERO fact-checked Harris' destructive, dark lies. They helped Kamala's demise made visible for the world to see.
@JimmyDeen (252)
•
19 Sep
You're a trump supporter so your critique would be perfect for pro trump articles and media. I read she drew him in and he fell for the bait. We do need a straighter arrow on these issues. But she is coming up with plans for issues like inflation and homelessness and helping people buy homes. What most want to hear is is gas going down, how can we cut rent in half, how can we eat one good meal a day
1 person likes this
@porwest (88149)
• United States
22 Sep
What she is saying doesn't matter as much as what she was saying before she became the nominee. She completely flip-flopped on the positions. Beyond that, how can she fix what her administration CREATED? If she had "the way out of this," wouldn't that already be happening? Give me a break.
Inflation happened because of three things: Biden wanted inflation goals to be 2.5% instead of 2%. The Fed reacted, inflation started and began to run away, they said it would be transitory, and it turned out it wasn't. On top of that Biden reversed all of Trump's energy policies sending gas prices through the roof. Every single thing we buy requires energy to produce it and move it around, and those higher costs got added to the prices of everything. He also signed the American Rescue plan at a time when the economy was already in recovery from Covid lockdowns, creating a massive supply chain disruption and labor shortage, which drove up prices and drove up wages, which contributed to higher prices.
When Joe Biden took office inflation was 1.4%. In less than a year after he took office inflation was 10%. That cannot be blamed on Trump.
