Like it or not, former US President Donald Trump has proven to be a formidable debate opponent. He has bested many seasoned politicians.
As President Biden said following the disastrous debate in June – ‘how do you debate against a liar?’.
How do you debate against a schoolyard name-calling bully? Jeb Bush was not too sure.
How do you debate policy against an opponent who fights back with dog whistles and wild personal accusations? Hilary Clinton couldn’t quite get the upper hand.
But, in yesterday’s debate Kamala Harris showed us how.
She has been criticized for glossing over the details of her policy, true, but that was not what she needed to do to win this debate.
Trump also lacks a detailed policy and this is nothing new. It does not dissuade his supporters and many swing voters from being attracted to his ‘concepts’ of policies.
The fact is that if Harris were to dive into the detail in this forum it would have backfired even though it would have been seen by some as an admirable goal. Many have floundered with this seemingly sensible approach, like bringing a knife to a street fight when you know the other guy will always have a gun.
Like an armchair athlete during the Olympics, I have been waxing lyrical on what needed to be done ever since this debate was announced.
What she needed to do was set the bait then stand back.
Easier said than done, as his coaches were certainly aware this was the best strategy.
Harris executed the strategy perfectly. Her ‘bait’ was selected to attack him on his weakest flank – ego. Poking fun at Trump’s political rallies and pointing out his silver spoon upbringing alongside his bankruptcy claims were among her tactics. And they worked.
Now, this is not the higher ground the American people deserve. I believe they still need to know what BOTH candidates plan to do if elected. The policy detail remains opaque.
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Monica Lunin is a communications expert, speaker and writer based in Sydney Australia. She is the co-owner of MOJOLOGIC, a consultancy that specialises in developing the skills of communication, influence and leadership.
Her fascination with communication can be traced back to school and university when she was an avid debater and public speaker. Her academic pursuits in political science and international relations gave way to a career in business – and the power of persuasion has always permeated her view of the world.