I’m unsure what to think of this debate preparation for Kamala Harris, but if she fails tonight, and I pray she does, this could be why. Before you understand how to attack your opponent, it might be best to grasp what you want to sell to the American voter, something Kamala has had ample time to do despite the truncated timeline. She hasn’t because she runs off like a scared wombat when approached by the media, which is very much for her by any measure. CNN is reporting that Kamala has watched all of Donald Trump’s debates, studied his insults, and even called Hillary Clinton for advice:
Trump has Kamala so nervous that she apparently watched all 6 of his debates, studied all of his insults, and called Hillary Clinton to ask for advice 😭 pic.twitter.com/GlL04x8ntN
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) September 9, 2024
Why she keeps talking to two-time presidential loser Hillary Clinton is beyond me. Clinton lost—it’s not like she’s some oracle in how to defeat Trump. She blew arguably one of the most winnable elections for Democrats in recent memory.
As for the media and access, it’s creampuff time. They’re not hostile, but the press isn’t shying away from simple questions, like how will you pay for your economic plans? Harris couldn’t answer it, barfing up an incomprehensible word salad instead.
If you can’t deliver a line that explains your agenda or any policy position, then the attacks aren’t going to work. We’re in territory where Kamala could devolve into a mess tonight. Trump has signaled he won’t be overly combative or aggressive as he was with Biden in the first debate in 2020, which backfired. He will do what he did to Joe: allow his opponents to destroy themselves.
Trump knows what to say on the economy. He’s been a bit disjointed attacking Kamala’s record, sometimes veering into the personal, which isn’t what you need to do. Make it clear that her agenda will make us poorer, which it will. Calm and collected like you were against Biden, don’t let her get under your skin, and stay focused.
Also, who was Kamala’s stand-in for Trump in debate prep—I bet the entire exercise was a disaster. Kamala has proven numerous times she's not ready for primetime. That hasn't changed. Look how quickly the Harris high faded in the polls. Being the anti-Biden or the non-Biden candidate isn't enough.
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