Democrats are privately acknowledging growing anxiety over the Tuesday night debate between Vice President Harris and former President Trump, arguing that how Harris performs could go a long way in defining her as a candidate.
Four years ago, Harris enjoyed a good night against former Vice President Mike Pence, and that debate might be best remembered for the fly that landed on Pence’s head.
Harris’s public appearances have been tightly scripted since President Biden exited the race and handed her the baton, and a long evening behind the debate podium with only a pad of paper, a pen and a bottle of water presents an array of uncertainties that makes Democrats nervous.
Ray Zaccaro, a Democratic strategist and former Senate aide, said Democrats are mindful that the high-stakes debate could be “catastrophic or monumental” after Biden’s campaign was derailed by the June 27 debate against Trump.
He said Democrats were already nervously anticipating this week’s debate at the height of the Democratic convention in Chicago, knowing an hour on stage could make or break a candidate who largely stayed out of the spotlight during her time as vice president.
“We were already moved on from the convention at the convention because of the anxiety of what this debate could actually turn out to look like. People are extremely anxious about her performance,” he said. “There’s a sense of real caution about expectations on her performance.”
Read more at Thehill.com
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