Sep 21 2024 59 mins
We compare two radically different visions for America in the 10 September presidential debate. We talk about the ideas, the emotions and the communication tactics.
Key topics:
- Harris’ opportunity economy is aimed at a broad coalition of middle classes, workers and small business owners. Republicans identify as “working class” even when they are not.
- Trump is obsessed with stoking fears about immigration. Harris takes him on and shows he is derailing from the real issues.
- Trump’s statements on immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, are extreme, absurd and tragically farcical: a surreal twisted spectacle that produces very real violence and hate against migrant communities. Vance admits to “creating stories” about pet-eating just to get media attention.
- Harris’ empathetic focus on women’s reproductive freedom beats Trump spinning abortion bans as a democratic expression of the “people’s will”.
- Harris recognises Palestinian suffering but struggles to make a significant break from Biden’s Israel policy.
- Trump’s “anti-war” narrative is revealed as a muscular stance based on “inciting fear” on the world stage.
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