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Kamala Harris dominated the debate — but will it matter to Missouri and Kansas voters?

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris shake hands before the start of an ABC News presidential debate at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Alex Brandon
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AP
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris shake hands before the start of an ABC News presidential debate at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia.

Flash polling suggests Vice President Kamala Harris won Tuesday night's presidential debate against former President Donald Trump. But one political science expert from Kansas City questions if drawing Trump off-track was effective for convincing voters, given that "the bar is on the floor" for him.

After a dominating performance against President Joe Biden back in June, Kansas City-area political science experts said former President Donald Trump appeared rattled in Tuesday's presidential debate against a much younger Democratic nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Even though Harris was evasive answering issues on her policy positions, panelists on KCUR's Up To Date said that she was easily able to draw Trump off topic, outperforming the former president.

"Kamala Harris probably could have gone into more detail," said Dr. Matt Harris, an associate professor of political science at Park University. "She sort of controlled the debate by sort of presenting her vision and then needling former President Trump in ways that she knew would get him off track."

While Harris did share some plans for her potential presidency, Kansas City, Kansas Community College and UMKC communications professor Dr. Scott Elliot said Trump failed by not focusing on why Harris hasn't taken action on those policies during her time as vice president.

"He should have come in from the very top and say, 'She's been here for three and a half years. She said that she was in the room when these decisions were made, why haven't these decisions been made?'" Elliot said.

"For the rest of this debate," Elliot continued, "you have to answer for what you've done for the past three years, and that would have been a better framing of the debate."

Unlike the last presidential debate, the CBS moderators occasionally refuted false or misleading comments made by the candidates — more commonly directed at Trump.

"They pushed back on some of the more egregious statements that were made," said Johnson County Community College political science professor Dr. Andrea Vieux.

And although Vieux said too many interruptions from moderators can be distracting, "they could have gone farther with some of that fact checking."

"It's difficult to moderate a debate that Donald Trump is in because the lies come so frequently," Harris said.

Up To Date's panel of experts agree Trump lost the debate.

"The flash polling suggests that Kamala Harris scored a pretty decisive victory in the minds of most of the people who watched," Harris said. "But then the follow up to that is like, well, does it matter? Because for Donald Trump, I think to a certain extent, the bar is on the floor."

  • Dr. Matt Harris, associate professor of political science, Park University
  • Dr. Andrea Vieux, associate professor of political science, Johnson County Community College
  • Dr. Scott Elliot, professor of communication at Kansas City, Kansas Community College and adjunct professor of communication at the University of Missouri-Kansas City
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When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
As a producer for Up To Date, my goal is to inform our audience by curating interesting and important conversations with reliable sources and individuals directly affected by a topic or issue. I strive for our program to be a place that hosts impactful conversations, providing our audience with greater knowledge, intrigue, compassion and entertainment. Contact me at elizabeth@kcur.org or on Twitter at @er_bentley_ruiz.
As Up To Date’s senior producer, I construct daily conversations that give our listeners context to the issues of our time. I strive to provide a platform that holds those in power accountable, while also spotlighting the voices of Kansas City’s creatives and visionaries that may otherwise go unheard. Email me at zach@kcur.org.
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