3 months ago
18
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are veering sharply in how they gear up for Tuesday's prez debate, setting up a showdown that reflects not just two separate visions for the country but two politicians who approach big moments very differently.
Harris
spent the weekend cloistered in a historic hotel in downtown
Pittsburgh
where she focused on honing crisp two-minute answers, per the debate's rules.
Meanwhile,
Trump
has publicly dismissed the value of studying for the debate. The former prez is choosing instead to fill his days with campaign-related events.
Harris will face a skilled and experienced debater who excels at rattling his rivals with a barrage of insults and interruptions, while projecting unflappable confidence and conviction. And Trump will be up against a longtime prosecutor known for landing pointed punches. He again faces a woman who would become the country's first female president and must contend with the underlying gender dynamics at play.
From her earliest campaigns in
California
to her serving as Prez Biden's running mate, Harris has honed an aggressive but calibrated approach to debates. She tries to blend punch lines with details that build toward a broader narrative. She might shake her head to signal her disapproval while her opponent is speaking, counting on viewers to see her reaction.
On the other hand, Trump is the ultimate wild card who's found tremendous political success by ignoring the traditional rules of politics. He has praised dictators, talked about genitalia size, suggested suspending the constitution and said that Harris only recently "turned black." Trump's own team doesn't know what he'll do or say on any given day. While Republicans hope Trump makes immigration the top issue, Democrats want to focus on abortion.
Harris is almost two decades younger than Trump (78). Age was viewed as a political advantage for Trump when he was facing the 81-year-old Biden, but the situation is now reversed against the 59-year-old Harris.
