by Frank Donatelli and Leslie C. Francis
Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will soon meet in a high stakes nationally televised debate, perhaps the only one of this campaign.
In previous elections – 1960, 1976, 1980, 2000, and 2020 come immediately to mind – the election contests were heavily influenced by such encounters. This year, for sure, it is “high risk, high reward.” With an election so close, we believe this debate will be important – maybe even decisive – in determining the winner.
Having been involved in debate strategies in previous cycles, we have some idea of what the campaigns are thinking about just days before Tuesday’s showdown. And there are a few things viewers might keep in mind, as well.
Good debate preparation should emphasize three things more than anything else.
First, focus on two or three issues, themes, or personal qualities that the campaign hopes will resonate with the electorate.
Second, that focus should underscore or strengthen the main message of the campaign. This is not a time to freelance.
Third, memorable phrases or “zingers” are welcome, but not if they are canned, forced, or nasty.
For Trump, this means:
- He needs to control himself. The former president simply talks too much for his own good. He likes to talk over his opponent. (Note: The microphones can be controlled by the moderators this year.) He also frequently goes off message and launches personal attacks, as he will want to do against Harris. The result is a candidate who seems undisciplined and turns off persuadable voters.
- He should focus on the question asked and avoid tangents or personal attacks. This is a low bar, but he needs to clear it to have any chance of winning.
- Next, he has to settle on a coherent critique of his opponent. Traditional Republicans such as Lindsey Graham and Nikki Haley have urged Trump to focus more on policy. Although Trump has always scored points with his base when attacking his opponent, the criticisms must be credible to work on undecided voters. His attacks on Hillary Clinton as one too tied to the establishment and questions surrounding her private email server (remember that?) helped him win the 2016 election. Maybe he can try labeling Harris as a “San Francisco liberal” or an “issue flip-flopper,” but his attacks on the vice president have been scattershot and way too personal. He has boasted about being restrained in his fateful June 27 debate with Joe Biden. Can he do it again?
- Finally, the former president must talk beyond his base. His reluctance to do so is why his polling seems to have a ceiling in the mid-to-high 40s. There are only so many disenchanted white males out there. Trump had his best opportunity to grow his support after the attempt on his life and a rather good Republican convention, but his acceptance speech was a squandered opportunity. Is there anything he has to say that might appeal to undecideds or non-MAGA voters? And can he dial down the sarcasm and insults? If so, the debate is the time to do so.
For Kamala Harris:
- The vice president should not attempt to “untoss” Trump’s word salads. He throws a lot of stuff into each of his answers, and any effort to pick them apart is wasted effort. Harris should spend the bulk of her time on offense. She should also answer the questions asked by the moderators – something neither Biden nor Trump did on June 27, which only added to the perception that they are both too old.
- Harris is the candidate the public needs to hear more about. No press conferences and one interview doesn’t send a message that this is a confident candidate. Harris can lay that to rest Tuesday night. She should spend her time filling in the blanks on the resume and issue positions to the broader electorate. Her main goal is to pass the “chief executive” test. As the non-incumbent, the public must feel comfortable with her as president.
- Kamala Harris is 59. Donald Trump is 78. Her tagline, “We’re not going back,” is an artful phrase that can mean different things to different people. But one thing it’s meant to convey: the future belongs to the 59-year-old Democratic Party nominee, not the 78-year-old Republican. She should double down on that. It also separates her from the Biden administration while giving her room to define herself. Can she persuasively and credibly explain where her positions differ from Biden’s and why? The future is normally a winning message for Americans. The Veep must stay there as much as possible.
- Finally, Harris is more than a candidate. In her narrative, she represents an ideal, a new generation of leaders, a new hope for people and groups that have not previously been represented. To her, inclusion will be a crucial part of moving the country forward. She has been elected in the nation’s largest and most diverse state, and she seeks to lead an increasingly diverse America. This makes her uniquely qualified to lead the nation forward into the next chapter of the American Experience – with a large dose of hope and expanded opportunity. A cautionary note here: Harris must avoid going too far on “identity” matters lest she lose support from moderate and independent voters who resist such classifications.
Debates are not a perfect way for voters to learn about candidates, but they are far preferable to thirty- or sixty-second ads on TV or on social media. Televised presidential debates represent the best chance for the voters to see the candidates up close, answering questions about the future of the country and how they will handle the many challenges we face. Having the public make informed choices should be the goal of this great democracy we call America.
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Frank Donatelli was political director in the Reagan White House and a former deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee. Les Francis was deputy assistant and deputy chief of staff to President Jimmy Carter, and later executive director of the DNC and DCCC.
Photo “Donald Trump” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0. Photo “Kamala Harris” by Kamala Harris. Background Photo “Debate Stage” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0.
