Harris delivers Trump his McCarthy moment

Harris kept the momentum of the past seven weeks going.

In the debate last night, Kamala Harris did to Donald Trump what attorney Joseph Welch did to Senator Joseph McCarthy at the Army-McCarthy hearings in 1954. Back then, Welch exposed McCarthy as a bully and a fabulist when he said on national television, "Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness…you've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?" Welch got up and left the hearing to a thunderous applause. Within a year, McCarthy was censured and McCarthyism had mostly run its course.

Like Welch, Harris exposed Trump. She showed the country that he’s a shallow old man with little self-control, spreading internet conspiracies and made up news stories. The kids are all laughing at him this morning. TikTok is full of videos mocking Trump.

Harris baited him and he took it, hook, line, and sinker. He showed that he lacked the temperament and self-control to be president of the United States. We’ll be watching clips of this debate for decades to come.

Harris managed to set the tone and pace of the debate from the beginning. Within the first twenty minutes, she goaded him into going on a rant about the size of his rallies, exposing both his insecurities and his narcissism. From that point forward, Trump was playing defense and Harris continued to manipulate him into doubling down on lies and spouting off about his dark vision of a nation in decline.

As for Harris, she came across as confident, approaching Trump at the beginning of the debate to shake his hand. She sounded competent throughout the debate with clear answers, even if some were evasive. Most importantly, she looked like somebody who could be President of the United States.

A solid majority of registered voters in a CNN flash poll said Harris won the debate by a margin of 63% to 37%. Other stories say that undecided voters were unsure. But really, none of that matters. Harris won decisively because she accomplished what she needed to do.

First, she showed in a new setting, one a bit more contentious, that she can maintain her cool under pressure while delivering verbal jabs. She’s not weak or a pushover. People wanted to know a little bit more about her and she gave it to them. She reassured voters leaning toward her but needing more information.

Second, she rattled Donald Trump and reminded voters who he is and what he would be like as president. She brought out all the nonsense about migrants eating pets and hordes of immigrants attacking cities, reminiscent of his questions about injecting bleach to stop COVID. She made him look crazy, which probably excited some of his ignorant base, but also turned off people who might not like either choice this year.

Finally, and most importantly, she kept the momentum going. I got texts from people last night and this morning saying they were heading out to canvas this weekend. Supporters were jubilant.

My 16-year-old son didn’t watch the debate, but his social media feed was full of videos this morning that left him asking, “Did he really say that?” Most people may know who Donald Trump is, but for the 18-25 year old set, his presidency is fuzzy at best and she helped Trump define himself for that important group of voters. She fired up the base again after a two week lull following the convention.

The media is full of stories this morning complaining that the debate was short on policy and that undecided voters need more information. They really don’t understand voters or campaigns very well. For better or worse, very few elections are ever decided on policies. They are about bigger, broader themes and ideas.

Think about it. The 2020 election was a referendum on Trump’s presidency. The 2016 election was about whether we liked Trump or Hillary least. The 2012 election was about Obama’s first term and Mitt Romney’s businesses. The 2008 election was about “Hope and Change.” In 2004, it was about protecting us from a dangerous world of terrorism in the wake of the 9/11. The 2000 election was about moving beyond Bill Clinton’s scandals, whether imaginary or not.

People who are undecided in this election aren’t going to make up their minds based on detailed policy outlines. They are mostly low-information voters who all know Trump. They needed more information about Harris and she gave it to them.

They may want change, but it’s not necessarily change in policy. They’re tired of the division that nobody seems to be able to address. They are tired of the same old politicians, saying the same old things, or as Harris described it, the same tired playbook. Most likely, people who are undecided now are either not going to vote at all or they are going to get caught up in the enthusiasm or excitement of the people around them, their friends and families, and follow the herd. Harris created more excitement than Trump.

Harris clearly won and she capped off her victory with the endorsement of Taylor Swift. The struggle for Harris will be to keep the young people engaged for the next seven weeks. She drove a wedge between them and Donald Trump last night. Like Joseph Welch, she delivered a blow by making Donald Trump show us who he is, a bully and a liar, and she gave us a glimpse of how a more dignified nation might look and sound.