Why Harris’ debate win over Trump may be unlike any other

While a winning candidate might get a temporary boost from a strong performance, the polling bump often fades. However, last night’s showdown between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump could be the exception to the rule. It’s hard to imagine last night’s debate will not have at least some effect. In practically every one of her answers, she included at least one line that she knew would firmly lodge itself under Trump’s infamously thin skin. She needled Trump about his boring political rallies and pointed out that his alma mater, the Wharton School of Business, had thrown cold water on his economic plans. He claimed without evidence that “many of those [Wharton] professors … think my plan is a brilliant plan.” He defended his political grievance fests by claiming they are the “most incredible rallies in the history of politics.” And in the debate’s most bizarre moment, he falsely claimed that immigrants in Ohio are stealing and killing pet animals. The contrast between sullen, angry Trump and polished, even-keeled Harris couldn’t have been starker. While much of the analysis from last night will focus on Trump’s lunacy, Harris’ performance may have been more decisive. If Trump remains a high-floor, low-ceiling candidate, even a small move of undecided voters to Harris could be decisive. By and large, voters know what they think about Trump. If recent polling is to be believed, going into last night many voters said they want to know more about her. In a New York Times poll released Sunday, 28 percent of voters “said they felt they needed to know more about Ms. Harris, while only 9 percent said they needed to know more about Mr. Trump.” The number is close to half among the small segment of undecided voters. Along with last month’s Democratic convention, Tuesday’s debate was one of Harris’ best opportunities to introduce herself to the public. CNN’s instant poll taken immediately after the debate showed Harris trouncing Trump 63-37. It’s similar to the margins for Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney in the first debates of the last three presidential elections — each of which led to a bump in the polls. In 2004, John Kerry trounced George W. Bush in all three presidential debates. Still, the differences between Harris and Trump were so significant — and considering the potential boost to a candidate not as well known as her opponent — it’s hard to imagine last night’s debate will not have at least some effect on voter opinion. At the very least, she might have given the sliver of the electorate still unsure about Harris enough information to win their vote in November.In the near term, the debate should generate days of coverage about the former president’s mental state. But if Trump remains a high-floor, low-ceiling candidate, with a strong base of support and a limited ability to bring in new voters, even a small move of undecided voters to Harris could be decisive. And it’s hard to imagine any presidential candidate having a better night than Harris did on Tuesday. – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/kamala-harris-donald-trump-debate-win-polls-rcna170611