Style-wise, Kamala Harris won her first debate against Donald Trump, exceeding low expectations and coming out well prepared to avoid a Joe Biden-style meltdown in June.
But she failed to achieve four strategic goals to win the support of independents and undecided voters.
Strategically, Harris needed to use the debate to establish clear differences with Trump on two key issues: the economy and immigration, where Trump has a 10-point advantage over Harris, the panel said. Pew ResearchOn immigration, Harris is favored by a 7-point margin, a point she has failed to gain traction on.
To mobilize voters, Harris had to accomplish four strategic objectives.
First, she had to declare her independence by distancing herself from the failures of the Biden administration, which was elected to heal a divided nation and return the economy to pre-pandemic levels. Day 1He is determined to transform the economy around green energy and restructure society to achieve social justice through equity. Completely Committed Based on her previous statements, she cannot adhere to these goals, and therefore cannot distance herself from the programs created and spending undertaken that have created today's inflationary problems.
Gallup Poll In January 2020, at the height of the pre-pandemic Trump economy, a survey found that 41% of Americans were somewhat/very satisfied with the direction of the country; by 2024, that number had fallen to 20%. Harris now needs to acknowledge this issue, take some responsibility, and lay out a comprehensive strategy to work to improve it. She has failed on all three.
Second, she has had to deal with the fact that she has changed her position on almost every major policy issue. While it is natural to change one's perspective on an issue, if one is to run for president, it is incumbent on the American people to explain why and how this change occurred. This is why her strategy has Avoid the press What hurt her was that she never created her own evolutionary narrative, which made it even harder to make her believe in such evolution in the debates. After all, she couldn't defend the “moderate” Kamala Harris.
Third, she had to appear in the debate as the candidate of change. To do that, she would need to distance herself from Joe Biden and establish her credentials as a moderate. Being the candidate of change would validate her campaign's main argument: that voters need to turn against Trump. But this was a very difficult task for Harris because she is the incumbent vice president. As Trump emphasized in his closing statement, she already has the power to change things right now.
The problem for Harris is that in voters' minds, a second term typically means maintaining the status quo. In 2024, most voters want to reverse Biden's economic, immigration and crime policies. New York Times Siena Poll According to the survey, 53% of voters see Trump as a candidate for change, while 25% see Harris as such. Because Harris was unable to clearly position herself as a candidate for change, she will likely be forced to defend the “status quo” by redefining the Biden-Harris administration to voters.
Finally, Harris had to convey a clear vision of where she wanted to take America, which she expressed in the broadest terms: an “opportunity economy.” Her Speech “As president, I will commit to creating opportunities that will enhance the economic security, stability and dignity of the middle class. Together, we will build what I call an opportunity economy,” she said in a speech in Raleigh, North Carolina.
But what does that mean? Details matter. Harris' failure to elevate her vision beyond a string of disconnected quips and disjointed policy proposals made for a weak case. Ultimately, many primary voters who participated in post-debate focus groups felt Harris was a risky choice, even though they didn't like Trump's style.
Harris' debate communications required clear goals and objectives rather than pre-rehearsed style points to get her target audience to vote for her. The ball was in her court and the mountain she had to climb was steep. Harris focused on the abortion supporters she already had and the Trump haters who were already firmly in her camp. This is why her performance was a poor strategic communication. This is why she won on style but lost on points.
Dennis M. Powell is a strategic management consultant with Massey Powell.“Leading from the Top: Presidential Lessons in Issues Management.”
