These Are The Comms Tactics That Won Harris’ First Presidential Debate
The presidential debate on ABC hit differently than debates past. For starters, it marked the first time Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump squared off against each other.
But the biggest change factor was structural: similar to the prior debate, ABC rules stated that the microphones would only be live and unmuted for the candidate whose turn it was to speak (moderators had the option of unmuting both to facilitate quick rebuttals and cross-talk, which they did on occasion).
Despite initial concerns from the Harris campaign that this rule would put her at a disadvantage, pundits and voters across the political spectrum agreed that Harris won. That includes Fox News pundits and the network’s voters panel.
“Trump was so bad, he’s just like an old suit from like 1987 right now,” one panelist said. “He just repeats himself, says the same stuff, and she’s refreshing in that she’s different, I think if he had a different line of attack with her, it would have been more effective.”
