The election seems to be a fifty-fifty race at this point. The debate will change everything.
And even CNN is admitting that Donald Trump has this massive advantage in his debate against Harris.
The Democrats were in a tough spot when they decided to pull Joe Biden so close to the Democrat National Convention. Turning to Kamala Harris, who doesn’t exactly have a ton of good grace in the eyes of the American people, presented challenges that they are still working through.
In the past, Kamala Harris has seriously struggled in interviews that aren’t 100% scripted. She goes on in these word salads that make her sound like a child. It’s as if she defaults to some mumbo jumbo in her head when she’s presented with a tough question during an interview. This is why the Democrats have kept her away from any big interviews with the press so far.
The only interview with the press that Kamala Harris has done is with her running mate, Tim Walz, by her side and with the ultra-friendly outlet CNN. Not only that, but the interview was edited. So, the American people didn’t even get the full footage of the sit-down with CNN’s Dana Bash. In one sense, this has some reasoning to it. You don’t want your candidate to show how unable she is to handle basic interviews. The problem is that it’s created a nightmare scenario for her in the first debate.
Kamala Harris’s Media Strategy Raises Stakes for Crucial Debate
Vice President Kamala Harris’s strategy of avoiding interviews has significantly increased the importance of Tuesday night’s debate with former President Donald Trump, according to Axios reporter Alex Thompson. Since President Joe Biden announced the end of his reelection bid on July 21, Harris has granted only one sit-down interview, which was conducted alongside Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota on August 29.
Thompson highlighted Harris’s discomfort in unscripted settings, noting that some of her worst moments as vice president occurred during impromptu interviews. He explained, “Let’s remember that some of her worst moments as vice president were in some of these unscripted interview moments. She is not usually as comfortable in those settings.”
The lack of media engagement has amplified the significance of every unscripted moment for Harris, particularly the upcoming debate. Thompson emphasized, “That’s why tomorrow night’s debate has really become this really pivotal moment for her because the fact is that a lot of Americans, as many as 30%, say that they don’t know enough about her yet.”
CNN Guest Says Harris Avoiding Interviews 'Raised The Stakes' For Debate pic.twitter.com/GmfiA1Vq8F
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 9, 2024
Current Polling and Policy Shifts
Recent polls show Harris leading Trump by a narrow margin. The RealClearPolling average from August 22 to September 6 puts Harris ahead by 1.2%, with her lead expanding to 1.9% when third-party candidates are included.
However, in 2016 and in 2020, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden were leading Donald Trump by nearly double digits in the national surveys. Meaning, Kamala Harris is “leading” Trump far behind where his other opponents were at this point. That could lead to a resounding Trump win if his turnout is as strong as in those two previous elections.
Thompson also pointed out Harris’s apparent policy shifts since her 2020 Democratic primary campaign. He suggested that Harris would likely attempt to explain these changes by citing her experience as vice president and evolving circumstances. However, he noted, “But also, the fact of the matter is that all these changes have all gone in one direction for the most part, and they’ve all gone from the left to the center, which suggests that it’s not just about her changing views, but it is also a politically motivated action.”
The reporter highlighted potential issues within Harris’s campaign structure, describing it as a “Frankenstein campaign” due to the unprecedented circumstances of her late entry into the race.
Thompson explained, “By virtue of unprecedented circumstances, of her getting into this race so late, you have this situation in which, you know, it’s part Obama staffers, it’s part Biden’s staffers, and it’s part her team, and it’s really sometimes unclear who’s in charge.”
This cobbled-together campaign team may be contributing to Harris’s media avoidance. Thompson cited an example where it took six days for the campaign to respond to a question about Harris’s stance on a 2019 bill she co-sponsored regarding electric vehicle mandates, only to receive a “No comment” response.
As the debate approaches, all eyes will be on Harris to see how she performs in this crucial, unscripted moment that could shape voters’ perceptions of her candidacy.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
