Decisive moment in US campaign

After the debate disaster that blew up Joe Biden’s hopes for a second term, neither Kamala Harris nor Donald Trump should be under any illusions about what is at stake in their first – and most likely only – television debate on Wednesday (11am AEST). Momentum in the race for the White House, many believe, is with Ms Harris. But with polls virtually tied and the election less than three months away, both face a potentially make-or-break moment.

As widely respected former Reagan White House adviser Peggy Noonan, now a Wall Street Journal columnist, wrote at the weekend, Mr Trump needs “to demonstrate he’s sane enough, stable enough and knowledgeable enough to make wavering, centrist and independent voters grow more comfortable with the idea of ‘The Trump Presidency, Act II’ ”. For Ms Harris, the challenge will be to show “she is strong, that she is prepared, that she is smart, that she has sufficient gravitas, that she sometimes gets a thoughtful look because sometimes she has thoughts”. Both enter their first face-to-face encounter with considerable baggage.

Ms Harris has been an unimpressive Vice-President. Despite the current media honeymoon, her campaign for the Democratic nomination in 2019 did not even survive into 2020. She was skewered by her determination to run on a progressive platform that included eliminating private health insurance, banning fracking, giving benefits to illegal immigrants and forcing gun owners to give up some weapons. She is now attempting to row back on such issues. Ms Noonan suggests Mr Trump should tie her to Mr Biden, making the point that “if you don’t think Joe Biden worked out so well, she is his second term”.

Mr Trump, at 78, the “old man” in the Democrats’ ads, also faces difficulties. Two months ago he appeared to be cruising to victory against Mr Biden. Since Ms Harris emerged, however, he has been unable to counter her steady advance in the polls. In his frustration, he has resorted to vicious personal attacks. He will not do his chances any good if he continues in that vein.

Neither has come close to the serious policy debate needed. Questions abound about the “progressive” views Ms Harris is trying to row away from, as they do about Mr Trump’s actions when his supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, his apparent affinity for Vladimir Putin, and his isolationism that includes an unwillingness to commit to supporting Ukraine. Both candidates need to dispel concerns that they lack the necessary qualities for the office they seek.