By most media accounts, Vice President Kamala Harris performed better at last night’s presidential debate than former President Donald Trump. Ms. Harris arguably had a lower bar (compared to her boss and predecessor, President Joe Biden), though she excelled at maintaining a measured, even presidential stature relative to Mr. Trump, who looked angry and scattered in comparison.
The debate performance continues a build-up of positive momentum for Ms. Harris, starting with her swift announcement of her candidacy in late July. Ms. Harris is either even with or trailing Mr. Trump in some polls and is still connected to the inflation and malaise affecting the American economy.
To continue building on the positive momentum, Ms. Harris should avoid relying too much on debate reviews. Instead, she should focus on three key areas to build on current success, avoid pitfalls, and elevate her standing with the small percentage of undecided voters, and possibly even win the White House in 2024.
Talk About Policy
In August, Ms. Harris enjoyed positive media attention, but she faced increasing questions about the lack of policy specifics and interviews (she sat for just one, with her vice presidential running mate, Governor Tim Walz).
It may be counterintuitive to focus on policy at this stage in the race, though the entire race is counterintuitive. While Ms. Harris has come across as polished and friendly, she needs to pair that perception with clear, concise messaging about what she will do.
Talking about specifics will differentiate her from Mr. Trump, whose message is about what’s wrong with the country, not how to fix it. It will also give voters confidence that she has specific ideas, or that the fears heightened by Mr. Trump aren’t things she agrees with.
Talking specifics will help distance Ms. Harris from the unpopular Biden administration amid global conflict and economic challenges. While Ms. Harris can’t deny the administration’s failures, she can psychologically distance herself by discussing specifics about the future.
Be Genuine
The hesitant discussions about Ms. Harris replacing President Biden on the Democratic ticket stemmed from her Vice Presidential tenure, which was marked by absence in key moments and a series of unforced gaffes. These made her appear wooden, unnatural, and lacking confidence and stature. She had the mark of a politician trying to be human; in an age of AI and memes, this can be a more significant misstep for impressionable voters than an unpopular policy position.
Since announcing her presidential run, Ms. Harris has largely abandoned these habits, regularly appearing joyous and reasoned at different times. This balance of genuine emotion and seriousness was on display in the debate last night, where she acted like a real human — shaking Mr. Trump’s hand, looking at him as he spoke, and speaking clearly and concisely — in front of a large audience.
Ms. Harris needs to continue on this track to connect with undecided voters or sway “Trump if necessary” voters who moved on from Mr. Biden’s unimpressive term and disastrous campaign. Many won’t turn away from Mr. Trump just because Mr. Biden dropped out; they need a compelling reason (especially with trust at a low) that Ms. Harris is better than both men. Being genuine will sway younger voters and reassure those who are reluctantly with Trump.
Don’t Play Trump’s Game
In the debate, Ms. Harris brought up Mr. Trump’s rallies to unsettle him and provoke an unsavory reaction. Provoking Mr. Trump is a waste of time, as his base is drawn to his confidence, and undecided or “flippable” voters like him despite his outbursts because they trust his policies more (or trust the Democratic policies less).
Speaking of rallies, Ms. Harris should also avoid using rally size as a measure. It doesn’t matter to most voters, and worse, it wastes critical media attention on topics like how her policies will be better than Mr. Trump’s.
Many other candidates, some stronger than Ms. Harris until recently, have tried and failed to play Trump’s game instead of focusing on their own messaging and strategy.
Before Trump, campaigns were disciplined about actively ignoring their opponents as a psychological means to minimize their opponents while focusing on their own plans. Ms. Harris should resurrect this strategy with Mr. Trump. Not only will it position her as more presidential, it will also stymie Mr. Trump and put him off balance, where he traditionally struggles.
By utilizing these three strategies, Ms. Harris can sway the crucial blocs of Americans reluctantly choosing Trump or not committed to voting due to burnout. In a close race, these can determine if we see a Harris-Walz era or a return to the 2016-2020 era of Trump.
