CNN's Jake Tapper admitted in his post debate analysis that while Kamala Harris exceeded expectations, she refused to answer questions on the most pressing issues facing the country, and instead chose to pivot with answers that provided flattering soundbites but offered no substance.
Other media personalities blasted the moderators for their failure to press her on these non-answers, while interrupting and “fact-checking” Trump throughout the debate, while never challenging the statements Kamala made, despite many of them having been debunked for years.
Tapper admitted, “Despite the economy being the number one issue facing the country, the sitting Vice President generally reverted the talking points about a few of her policy proposals — even Harris allies today are saying that she needs to talk more about what she will do for Americans if elected. On the border — another vulnerable issue for Harris — she also dodged.”
They then cut to footage from the debate.
Referring to immigration and the southern border, David Muir asked her, “Would you have done anything differently from President Biden on this?”
Harris answered, “So I‘m the only person on this stage who has prosecuted transnational criminal organizations for the trafficking of guns, drugs, and human beings.
Tapper acknowledged the lack of explanation. “Okay, that wasn't the question. When asked how she would break through the Israel Hamas war stalemate, Harris said this…”
They cut to another clip from the debate.
“We need a ceasefire deal and we need the hostages out, and so we will continue to work around the clock on that.”
Jake said what many voters are thinking. “Okay, but again, how?”
Despite Harris being declared the winner, Trump actually made strides with independent voters after the fact, and many cited Harris's empty answers as their reasoning. Some of them said it seemed like she was telling them not to vote for Trump, while failing to explain what she would actually do or why she deserved their votes. Even the policy page on her website (published just before the debate and long after she became the presumptive nominee) was criticized for doing a better job of attacking Trump than explaining what she stands for.
Voters and pundits alike acknowledged Harris's debate performance was the most prepared and professional she sounded in years, but since Biden dropped out, she's been criticized for her hesitancy to articulate her policies or offer anything of substance to the American people. In addition to going over a month without a policy listed on her website, she's only taken one interview (with her running mate) since becoming the Democratic nominee, has barely taken questions from the press, and hasn't held a single press conference.
The biggest error made during the event was not including the cutting off of the mics of the moderators.