Staff Reports
Vice President Kamala Harris seems to have a grand plan for the upcoming ABC News presidential debate scheduled for September 10, and it does not involve a lot of serious discussion or substantive policy analysis. According to reports, her strategy is less about delivering coherent arguments and more about theatrics. It appears Harris’s team has opted for the approach of riling up former President Donald Trump instead of engaging in an actual debate on the issues that concern the American public.
NBC News divulged that Harris is focusing on optics and the fine art of “needling” Trump to throw him off his game. This suggests that rather than presenting sound reasoning or detailed approaches to pressing concerns, Harris intends to employ tactics akin to poking a bear with a stick. The goal is clear—convince voters she embodies bravery and resilience while trying to put Trump on the defensive. One can hardly call this a recipe for productive discourse; it reads more like a ploy to distract from policy failures and a lack of actionable solutions.
Report: Kamala Harris to Prioritize Attacks on Trump, Not ‘Substance,’ at Debate
"It’s going to be less about substance and more about showcasing Harris as a woman who isn’t scared and isn’t going to cower and who is standing up to Trump and holding him accountable."… pic.twitter.com/gxt6XSgGNi
— Trump2024_no_matter_what (@TexasTrump2024) September 2, 2024
While she may aim to portray herself as a fearless woman confronting Trump, the reality is that voters might be more interested in hearing about how the Biden administration plans to address the border crisis instead of engaging in petty squabbles. Harris is reportedly set to bring up the “bipartisan” pro-migration border bill—a piece of legislation that floundered in the Senate—blaming Trump for its demise. The irony is staggering; she and her fellow Democrats claim Trump’s opposition single-handedly derailed the bill despite bipartisan resistance across the entire political spectrum, including from fellow Democrats.
Entering the political arena, Harris may want to prepare for a good dose of reality. The bill she refers to would have increased legal immigration levels and essentially opened the floodgates for illegal border crossings. However, the blatant attempts to pin the failure of the bill on Trump serve more as misdirection than an honest reference to the inadequacies of the proposal itself. Breitbart’s fact-check shines a light on how out of touch this rhetoric is with the actual sentiment surrounding immigration in America.
Furthermore, it appears Harris’s campaign team is also strategizing to create distance between her and the policies of the Biden administration. A source revealed that they are keen on differentiating Harris’s image from the president—that’s right, the same president she campaigned alongside. This might not just indicate a newfound sense of independence but rather a desperate attempt to avoid the blame for the disastrous policies associated with the current administration, especially as they try to navigate near-unprecedented approval ratings.
As the countdown to the debate continues, one has to wonder whether Harris will pivot from this spicy, attack-first mentality to engage in discussions that matter to Americans genuinely. Her approach may satisfy the desire for drama, but voters deserve more than just an opposing candidate throwing rhetorical punches. With Trump gearing up for what is sure to be an electrifying exchange at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center, one can only hope for a debate that transcends the trivial and addresses the pressing issues facing the nation.
