Kamala could have been more aggressive, but instead she nailed the tone

[Tom Rinaldo]

I realized while watching the debate last night that Kamala seemed to pull some of her most forceful punches. Don't get me wrong, she more than held her own against Pence, and she skillfully worked into her responses all of the key talking points that the Biden-Harris campaign wanted to highlight. Kamala Harris came across as the brilliant and strong woman that she is last night, but she was far from the pit bull attack dog that she, as a highly skilled and experienced prosecutor, has it in her to be when the situation calls for it.

When the debate ended I mulled over for awhile whether she missed an opportunity or two to land some instant classic devastating blows against Trump/Pence, delivered with the force needed to leave her palm print on Pence's face for the rest of their televised debate. Kamala is perfectly capable of doing that if and when she chooses to. Instead she calmly and skillfully countered Pence, and spoke directly to the public about what she and President Biden will do for the American people. Kamala got it right,

Most Americans had never been in Kamala's extended virtual presence prior to last night,
but in less than a month she can literally be a heartbeat away from the presidency. Americans by now are well acquainted with Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Mike Pence. The woman they met on stage last night showed a sure and steady hand, while simultaneously radiating both strength and warmth.

How well she played her hand last night was made perfectly clear this morning, when Donald Trump went on a feverish rant painting Harris as a power hungry monster and a literal communist. Without need of uttering a single sharp word, she just painted the president as a dangerous and delusional fool.

[SheltieLover]

1. I would have loved to see her shred him, but

You know, perception always drives politics rather than truth.

Kamala was absolutely perfect last night!!!

[SlogginThroughIt]

2. I agree I was disappointed early

But then I realized the reason for her approach and it makes sense. She did great!

[SharonClark]

3. Her tone and self-control was good for this format and at this point in the campaign.

I'm glad this sharp-as-a-tack happy warrior will be vice-president.

[brush]

4. Good analysis. I wonder also if she was influenced by the backlash she got...

when she aggressively went after Joe Biden in the first primary debate. She was pilloried for that for months and it eventually ended her campaign as fundraising dried up.

Maybe she decided to displayed her polished professionalism and smarts in introducing herself to the national TV audience.

[mcar]

5. She did a good job straddling a line she shouldn't have had to straddle

Show the world the intelligent, experienced woman she is while avoiding the dreaded "angry woman" label.

[Tom Rinaldo]

12. This is so sadly true.

I was thinking about that also. It seems to be always the case that whenever barriers born of prejudice are shattered, the individual who succeeds in doing so needs to exhibit extraordinary qualities above and beyond the skills needed to excel at their chosen vocation.That this is patently unjust should go without saying. All that can be said in reply is that once that extraordinary person succeeds, it becomes easier for the next one to do so, and easier still for the next one following. We are fortunate to have Kamala Harris fighting for us.

[Ohiogal]

6. I thought she came off as very smart and well prepared with facts.

I also like the way she pauses her speech for effect. It’s so much more effective than hearing a non stop monotone like Dump and Dense use.

Joe does something similar when he does the “Number one .... Number Two....” thing. So much more effective.

[honest.abe]

7. Agreed and I am sure that was by design.

The GOP talking point on her is that she is too aggressive and going to bully Biden into extremist liberal policies.. which is complete bullshit but that tactic might work with some voters. Her tone last night was in sharp contrast to that argument.

[SweetieD]

8. She did what she needed to do. Get through the debate look presidential with no major

gaffes or weird remarks or behavior that would go viral. No one remembers Pence debating Tim Kaine or what was said and that was just 4 years ago.


No one remembers vice presidential debates unless some super out of the ordinary happens. Like the whole "I can see Russia from my house " type remarks or "You sir are no John Kennedy ".

The goal is basically to not rock the boat and take too much focus off the main race. That was achieved. So she did a good job.

[Tom Rinaldo]

11. Yes. The exceptions to that rule are when the VP candidate has to clean up...

...after a particularly weak presidential debate performance by his/her running mate, or when their ticket is trailing far behind in the polls. Then an unusually dramatic VP debate can help to either rebalance the scales prior to a second presidential debate and/or in some way reframe perceptions of the race itself. But that at best only lasts until a subsequent presidential debate consigns the VP debate to virtual irrelevance.

Neither of those exceptions applied to last night's debate . Kamala had perfect situational awareness, and knew exactly what she had to both achieve and avoid.

[tman]

9. I knew she'd be advised by nervous political 'advisers' to rein it in.

As a result, Pence did better than he should have.

[Progressive dog]

10. I thought she did as well as she could, under the circumstances.

Pence was reduced to spinning for their fast shrinking base. Trump is no longer relevant, some of his base seems to be deserting him and those who stay are less enthusiastic. Kamala used the time she had to drive home the failure of this president to understand that what goes on in his pea brain has nothing to do with reality.

[Gothmog]

13. Harris did a great job last night

Female lawyers and debaters have to walk a very fine line between being effective and coming off as being nasty. If Senator Harris went full litigator mode on Pence we would be hearing comments about her being nasty. Good female litigators can get by with being nasty but they know how far to push it. I have three female attorneys at my firm who are rated as "super lawyers.". I have heard lawyers at other firms say that one of my female partners scares them which makes me smile

I was mad at Pence for lying and I wanted Harris to call him more for these lies. However on balance Harris clearly won last night and this win was due to her walking the line that female lawyers have to walk in the real world

[Tom Rinaldo]

15. You describe the dynamic perfectly.

Thank you for placing it an a non political context for the purpose of illustration. Yes, Harris strode that line confidently and well.

[Gothmog]

16. I have a daughter who is a female litigator

I know that she has to walk this line

[BlueNProud]

14. She was definitely following a strategy

the reality is this debate meant very little and getting out of it by acting like an adult with dignity and grace was the objective. Trying to call them out on the endless lies is a fruitless task.

[scipan]

17. Yes! The main objective was not to win the debate,

It was to make people feel comfortable with her, and show that she could take over as President. Which I think she did, as well as winning the debate. Pence was Trump lite in the way he kept overrunning his time and ignoring the moderator.