In writing in for Haley, because my vote for pres in my state doesn’t matter. But that was a compelling debate performance. In same way I cringed and clenched watched Biden implode, I laughed out loud about the pet eating part. I liked how Harris used the prosecutors playbook and sidestepping facts to try and goad the “defendant” to show the “jury” what the person is really like. It was exactly what I expected to happen. And it’s exactly why I’d want a composed, intelligent stateswoman like Haley to be responding. She could articulate conservative(ish) policy differences better than redirecting to immigration and eating pets.
Harris was vulnerable on the #1 issue Americans are discussing-- the economy. All Trump offered was conclusory statements about how he'd make it better. The time he was pressed on what plans he had, he said he had "concepts" of plans. Yikes.
I don’t think the debate will matter much, but it’s a critical media period which won’t be favorable to Trump. His best lines, which he saved to the end, was not hammering on whether people are better off now vs then.
All Harris has to do is play it safe, not make blunders, and avoid being painted into any corners. She did that, and Trump missed a chance to define who she and her administration really are.
Gun to my head, in a swing state where my vote mattered, it would be a hard choice. Harris is more presidential, but I still would want to see Trump’s policies be enacted. He’s the man on immigration, bar none. But seeing how he can’t answer the question of whether he wants Ukraine to win makes me think he’s too weak on foreign policy. Definitely a difficult task of separating the person from the policy.