It did appear as if Trump was missing his favourite foe, US President Joe Biden. So much so that Harris had to say 'Clearly, I am not Biden'. He would have been easier to tackle.
Does the debate change the opinions of voters as it famously did in 1960? The answer is about the changing role of image in American politics, not about the ideas of the candidates.
Kamala Harris attacked Donald Trump on his rallies, economy during his presidency, and views on abortion & China, forcing him to use false claims to stay in the presidential debate.
Pop megastar Taylor Swift backed Harris and Tim Walz in the 5 Nov. election, she announced in an Instagram post. Her post received nearly 2M likes within 25 minutes after the debate.
Putin has several times said that he feels Biden is preferable as the future US President to Trump, even after Biden cast the Kremlin chief as a 'crazy SOB'.
Neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden has the unifying effect that American politics needs. Presidential debates can become all about how ‘the other side is always wrong’.
The first 2024 presidential debate summed up the choice before US voters – a candidate who could not complete his sentences and a convicted felon with an inclination to lie most of the time.
This is the game every nation is now learning to play. Some are finding new allies or seeing value among nations where they’d seen marginal interest. The starkest example is India & Europe.
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