https://thenationalpulse.com/analysis-post/debate-analysis-trump-showed-righteous-indignation-kamala-peddled-smug-scripted-platitudes/
RAHEEM J. KASSAM
ELECTION 2024
DEBATE ANALYSIS: Trump Showed Righteous Indignation, Kamala Peddled Smug, Scripted Platitudes.
In tonight’s ABC Presidential debate, one candidate – Donald Trump – displayed vivid, righteous indignation, channeling frustrated Americans on the critical topics of the economy, foreign policy, immigration, and especially trade. The other, Kamala Harris, came off as scripted, platitudinous, and hollow on major policy points.Thanks to the listlessness of Congressional Republicans over the past decade, Harris had an easier time with one topic: Obamacare. But across the board, Trump was far more in touch with the day-to-day American experience, rightly quizzing at the end of the night – if she has all these plans, why hasn’t she done it? She is, after all, in office right now, without much of a “boss” to answer to nowadays.But with inflation still squeezing the average American, economic stagnation, trade imbalances, and real-world illegal migration horrors manifesting across the country, Trump seized the mantle of ‘MAGA’ – Making America Great Again. Regular readers will be acutely aware that if I really didn’t believe so, I wouldn’t write it.Trump’s consistency across the 90 minutes was key to this.While Harris attempted to needle him on crowd sizes and financial inheritance, Trump always brought the issue back to the policy debate at hand. Kamala, on the other hand, couldn’t wait to get away from the subjects. This was interesting, particularly because Trump is often accused of being the “personal” debater, whereas tonight, it was Harris who attempted to play the man rather than the ball.On the issue of war, the distinction was especially clear: Trump spoke of limiting the cost of human life, and Harris spoke of limiting the damage to the failed policy of neoconservatism, interventionism, and globalism.Particularly on Israel, she will likely regret her comments, especially in places like Michigan where the Arab-American population will be angered by her declared allegiance. Trump, again, has been consistent on the topic for well over a decade now.And that was the defining difference between the pair. Harris tried to be some things to all men, while Trump said, “Here’s the reality, here’s how we deal with it.”While the former showed “follower” characteristics from the outset, the other showed leadership qualities throughout.Trump will doubtless call it his best debate yet. Many people will have preferred the early GOP primaries in 2016, the Hillary slugfests, or the Biden evisceration. But Trump did what he had to do tonight: be Donald Trump, while Kamala was sort of just… anyone.