Trump was his worst self at the debate, while Harris cleared a low bar
I have this funny feeling that, before the election is over, personality will triumph over policy, at least for those voters who were still undecided before watching Tuesday’s debate.
Yes, inflation still matters. Voters still care about illegal immigration and crime. But they also care about how they feel about a candidate — whether or not they like the candidate.
Donald Trump came off as angry, unfocused and unprepared at the debate. Personality wasn’t his strong suit. It rarely is.
His MAGA base likes him. Almost nobody else does.
Kamala Harris said things that aren’t true. She deflected questions in order to pivot to rehearsed talking points. But, as a headline over a New York Times op-ed put it, “Trump looked livid. Harris looked amused. It was no contest.”
I’m not sure if Harris beat Trump or Trump lost all by himself. It doesn’t matter. One way or the other, she won and he lost, despite what he thinks.
Voters who supported Trump before the debate, I’m confident, still support him today. Same with Harris’s supporters. But for those who were still trying to make up their minds, the key question was: Could they see her in the Oval Office? And the answer after 90 minutes on live TV, I think, is yes.
There were no word salads, no mumbling and stumbling. Trump set a low bar for her and she made it easily over the top. She came off as competent, whether or not you agreed with what she was saying.
From an editorial in the Wall Street Journal: “She won the debate because she came in with a strategy to taunt and goad Mr. Trump into diving down rabbit holes of grievance and vanity that left her policies and history largely untouched.”
What was not untouched was Trump’s assertion that in Ohio, immigrants were eating other people’s pets. “They’re eating the dogs. The people that came in — they’re eating the cats. They’re eating the pets of the people that live there.” How does he know? Someone said so on social media.
Harris didn’t bother responding with something like, “Donald, people will think you’re crazy if you keep talking like that.” But it’s what I thought sitting at home watching on TV. And I’ll bet I wasn’t the only one.
Trump has a bad habit of looking through the rearview mirror and thinking he’s looking straight ahead. So he went back to his favorite oldies about how the last election was stolen, about how the rioters on Jan. 6 were treated badly and about how some 60 courts ruled against him in 2020 on a “technicality.”
The man cannot utter a declarative sentence as simple as, “I lost.” It’s as if he’s afraid of what would happen to everything he believes about himself if he just admits the obvious. But I’ll leave the question of what’s going on inside Trump’s head to people who study personality disorders.
In the meantime, here’s a question to consider: Does any undecided voter who goes shopping for food for the family care about any of Trump’s grievances? I don’t think so.
With all her faults — and she has more than a few — Harris at least prepared for the debate. Trump didn’t. He never does. Such is his confidence in himself. If he prepares, it means he doesn’t already know everything he needs to know. More fodder for those who study personality disorders.
But in the end there are only a few lingering questions that matter. One is, will Trump’s dismal performance hurt him on Election Day? It's hard to say because, by now, just about everybody knows how Trump behaves in public. I’m not sure anything he said or did will matter enough to sway the election.
Here’s the same question with a different emphasis: Can Kamala Harris — who not that long ago was held in low regard and considered a political liability — actually beat Donald Trump? After the debate, I believe the answer is a clear yes.
In just about every poll, Trump beats Harris on almost every major issue voters say they care about. That matters, but only if policy counts more than personality. This time around — as in 2020, when he lost — I’m betting that personality wins out. Trump’s personality. And that means that when all the votes are counted (whenever that turns out to be), 2024 may look a lot like 2020.
The only thing we can be sure of is that if Trump loses, we’ll hear all about how the election was rigged. That’s one more for the folks who study personality disorders.
Bernard Goldberg is an Emmy and an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University award-winning writer and journalist. He is the author of five books and publishes exclusive weekly columns, audio commentaries and Q&As on his Substack page. Follow him @BernardGoldberg.
Date: | |
Tag: | Donald Trump |
-
The Hill - Politics
Joe Rogan says Harris is 'nailing it' in debate with Trump
Podcaster Joe Rogan gave Vice President Harris her props after the Sept. 10 ABC News debate telling listeners she’s “nailing it.” “I just wanna say, whoever’s helping her, whoever’s coaching her, ...2 hours ago - Donald Trump -
The Hill - Politics
In last week's debate, Trump showed his true character
Nothing could erase the overwhelming impression that Harris is a normal reasonable candidate, and that Trump is by any metric so bereft of temperament and competence that he is unfit to lead the ...5 hours ago - Donald Trump -
The Hill - Politics
Harris holds 6-point national lead over Trump in postdebate polling
Vice President Harris is leading former President Trump nationally by 6 points, according to a polling released a week after the first debate between the major party nominees. The Morning Consult ...9 hours ago - Donald Trump -
The Hill - Politics
The Harris-Trump debate gave us more questions than answers on foreign policy
Foreign policy was not a major focus of the discussion, but what was said — and left unsaid — by the candidates was cause for concern.7 hours ago - Donald Trump -
The Guardian - World
Suspect charged as Trump accuses Biden and Harris of incitement
Ryan Wesley Routh charged with gun-related offenses after apparent assassination attempt against former president. Muddled politics and multiple arrests: who is the suspect? US politics live – ...21 hours ago - Joe Biden -
The Hill - Politics
On Harris vs. Trump, Pope Francis is not infallible
Pope Francis has criticized both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris for their views, but American Catholics and non-Catholics alike should ignore his off-the-cuff comments about the American ...8 hours ago - Donald Trump -
The Hill - Politics
Harris calls Trump after apparent assassination attempt
Vice President Harris called former President Trump on Tuesday for a quick conservation following the apparent second assassination attempt against him on Sunday. Harris expressed to Trump “that ...2 hours ago - Donald Trump -
NBC News - Top stories
'A crying shame': Harris rips Trump's remarks on Springfield
Vice President Kamala Harris ripped Donald Trump's repeated bashing of Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, saying he was "spewing lies grounded in tropes."37 minutes ago - Donald Trump -
ABC News - Entertainment
Maná removes song with Nicky Jam in protest of his support for Trump
The Mexican pop-rock band Maná has removed its 2016 song with Nicky Jam after the Puerto Rican reggaeton singer expressed his support for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump4 hours ago - Donald Trump -
The Hill - Politics
Harris blames reports of pregnancy-related death in Georgia on ‘Trump Abortion Bans’
Vice President Harris on Tuesday blamed former President Trump for Georgia’s restrictive abortion law after a new report that found an abortion-related death in the state was “preventable.” ...11 hours ago - Abortion
More from The Hill
-
The Hill - Politics
Hunter Biden asks to push back gun sentencing a few weeks
Hunter Biden, the president’s son, on Tuesday asked the judge overseeing his criminal gun case to push back his upcoming sentencing by a few weeks. Biden asked to move the scheduled Nov. 13 date ...13 minutes ago - Joe Biden -
The Hill - Politics
Watch live: Trump, Sarah Huckabee Sanders hold town hall in Michigan
Former President Trump will speak with voters in the storied auto manufacturing community of Flint, Mich., Tuesday evening at a town hall moderated by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who ...34 minutes ago - Donald Trump -
The Hill - Politics
Jason Carter says grandfather ready to 'turn page' on Trump era
Jason Carter, the oldest of former President Carter's grandchildren, said Tuesday that his grandfather is "excited" to vote for Vice President Harris and ready to "turn the page" on former ...35 minutes ago - Donald Trump -
The Hill - Politics
Klobuchar, Warner press tech leaders to take action against election-related disinformation
Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Mark Warner (Va.) sent a letter to major tech leaders on Tuesday, urging them to take "decisive action" against disinformation related to the 2024 general ...40 minutes ago -
The Hill - Politics
Tensions rise after apparent Trump assassination attempt
Welcome to The Hill's Campaign newsletter {beacon} Campaign Report Campaign Report The Big Story Tensions rise after apparent Trump assassination attempt Another major event has shaken up the ...42 minutes ago - Donald Trump