Voters acknowledged that the vice president presented an ambitious plan to address the country's major issues, but they were looking for more detailed specifics.
Vice President Kamala Harris greeting campaign staff in Philadelphia after the debate on Tuesday night.credit new York Times
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In the weeks leading up to the debate, undecided voters had been pressing for more concrete details. So it was notable that Vice President Kamala Harris opened the debate on Tuesday with, “I am actually the only person on this stage who has a plan.”
Despite this, some voters remain unconvinced.
Sharon and Bob Reed in Danville, Pa., last month. After watching the debate on Tuesday, Ms. Reed said, “It was all disappointing.”Credit...Hannah Beier for The New York Times
Bob and Sharon Reed, retired teachers from central Pennsylvania, had anticipated that the debate between Harris and former President Donald Trump would help them decide who to support in November. Instead, they found the debate disappointing. The Reeds questioned how the costly programs proposed by both candidates—Trump’s tariffs and Harris’s aid to young families and small businesses—would benefit them given their fixed incomes, which have struggled to keep up with inflation. They also felt the candidates did not provide enough detail on immigration or foreign policy.
Tuesday’s debate was the first time Trump and Harris had appeared together, having never met in person before. This created apprehension among supporters about their performance.
Donald J. Trump after the debate. Credit...Graham Dickie/The New York Times
Political analysts initially favored Harris, noting that her confrontational style seemed to unsettle Trump. She criticized him for his legal troubles, his reputation among former aides, and his standing on the global stage. At one point, she questioned his mental stability, a remark aimed at countering Trump’s frequent jabs at President Biden’s cognitive abilities.
However, undecided voters, who could be pivotal in the upcoming election, were not entirely impressed with Harris’s performance. Many acknowledged that Harris appeared more presidential and offered a broad vision for addressing major national issues. Yet, they felt she resembled Biden too closely and was not offering the change they sought.
Voters wanted more specifics. While Harris presented tax and economic plans, they were unclear on how these proposals would be enacted in a polarized Washington. The promise of aid to first-time home buyers, for instance, seemed unrealistic to some.
Ms. Reed expressed frustration with Harris’s general promises, stating, “I hope she can get them through Congress.”
Harris faced the additional challenge of defining her presidency compared to Trump’s well-known record. With limited time for responses, this task was particularly difficult. Most voters are familiar with Trump’s background and his recent controversies, with a New York Times/Siena College poll showing that 90% of likely voters already know what they need to about him.
Shavanaka Kelly from Milwaukee noted her daughters’ laughter at Trump’s unfounded social media claims and remarked that while she found Harris’s comments about Trump’s role in the January 6 riot compelling, she still wanted more specific policy details to distinguish Harris from Biden. “She didn’t really separate herself,” Kelly said.
Many Americans are still unfamiliar with Harris, and the debate did little to clarify her position. A recent poll revealed that 28% of likely voters want to know more about her, especially her policy plans.
Samira Ali, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was undecided before the debate and left still uncertain. She wanted more information on housing costs and inflation, saying, “I’m still deciding.”
Gerald Mayes from Las Vegas felt neither candidate clearly addressed how their policies would impact his family financially, leaving him confused.
Kristen Morris, a nursing student from Charlotte, N.C., and former Republican who now identifies as an independent, felt that her expectations were met after the debate and plans to vote for Harris.
In contrast, Keilah Miller from Milwaukee, who had previously stopped voting due to dissatisfaction with her choices, found Trump’s arguments more convincing after the debate. She expressed nostalgia for better times during Trump’s presidency and said, “I’ve never been so down as in the past four years.”
Jason Henderson from Southern Arizona, who had been leaning towards skipping the election, found Trump’s performance more commanding. Although he acknowledged that Trump came off as “crazy” and had weak answers on Ukraine, he felt Harris failed to provide specific details about her tax plans and was not impressed by her performance.
Overall, the debate clarified some voters' opinions but left others still questioning their choices.
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