The Trump/Harris debate: the battle of the mics
For the Trump/Harris debate on September 10 – which may end up being the only presidential debate of the 2024 campaign – it was finally decided that the candidates’ mics will be muted when their opponent is speaking. Kamala Harris would love for the mics to have remained open, the better to lure Trump into looking boorish and overbearing by overtalking her, and the better to be able to interrupt him .
Debates are often important campaign tools, but for Harris this may really feel like a make-or-break evening. Her strategy has been to appear as little as possible in unscripted settings and to remain as much of a blank slate as a person who’s been VP for almost four years can manage to do. I believe that she would dearly love to be able to portray Trump as an overbearing lout – a perception that may not be that difficult to engineer, depending on how he behaves at the debate – and to portray herself as simultaneously a victim of the nasty man but able to strongly stand up to him.
So why am I talking about open mics? Wasn’t it already agreed each candidate’s mic would be muted when the other is speaking? There’s the little matter of “assurances” from ABC:
CNN reported Wednesday that Harris accepted the rules after receiving separate “assurances” that mics could be turned on during the debate and the moderators would explain unheard exchanges.
“ABC News has offered assurances to the Harris campaign that if there is significant cross talk between Harris and Trump, the network may choose to turn on the mics so that the public can understand what is happening, the moderator would discourage either candidate from interrupting constantly and the moderator would also work to explain to viewers what is being said, according to the source familiar,” CNN reported.
Well, now. Kamala Harris may not be able to bring her emotional support VP Walz onstage with her, but there are always the good folk at ABC who might intervene with some newsplainin’ on her behalf.
[NOTE: Speaking of “newsplainin'”; remember Candy Crowley and Romney in the second Romney/Obama debate of 2012? See this as well as this.]
Trump said that he let Biden talk, and that worked out well, and that he plans to let Harris talk as well. She’s not good at that without a script. Plus, the ABC option might come back to bite her if SHE is the one doing the back talk while her mic is off.
Trump gave a speech and took questions from a Wall Street group today. The speech outlined his economic plans in some detail. He also contrasted his plans with the Harris/Biden plan.
The Wall Streeters seemed receptive even though they aren’t very friendly toward Trump.
Trump’s line about appointing Musk to root out government waste drew quite a bit of applause.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-trump-delivers-remarks-at-economic-club-of-new-york-luncheon
Trump has a good grasp of the issues. Kamala can only do the mean-girl personal attacks with any authenticity. I predict we’ll see a lot of that from her, and not much real substance. Trump should let her rant, and then go back to policy when he speaks.
I was already suspecting that somebody in the ABC control room would “accidentally forget” to turn off Trump’s mike at one or more points.
Trump said that he let Biden talk, and that worked out well, and that he plans to let Harris talk as well.
–Kate
Trump is always going to be brasher than I like. But I swear I can see him learning.
I think so too, huxley.
@ huxley — I think that Trump has always learned very quickly how to adapt to circumstances, but he was never before confronted with the opposition of the entire Democrat empire.
There really was no reason for him to expect the situation as it evolved since 2016.
Now he knows.
A ‘Hidden‘ glance into some of Trump’s prep for the Debate?
Trump’s close confidante KELLYANNE CONWAY gives an extraordinary behind-the-scenes insight, finally settling those ‘breakdown’ rumors and revealing his new 2024 blueprint – by Kellyanne Conway … some red meat for the MAGA
mobsupporters on a Friday:Hard hitting article. Always liked Kellyanne Conway – only ‘Thang I couldn’t stand about her was her husband…