Local Political Scientist Scores the Presidential Debate

FARGO (KVRR) – It was one of the most hotly anticipated TV moments of the year.

And after the fireworks in Philadelphia, political scientists in our region are sharing their takes on the first and perhaps only presidential debate of 2024.

Local political analysts say Vice President Kamala Harris had a standout night.

Her technique of pushing former President Donald Trump on issues like rally size and widely debunked conspiracy theories drew him successfully off message.

MSUM Political Scientist Barbara Headrick says that kept Trump distracted, and while he was responding to her remarks, it kept him from scoring points polling shows he has an advantage on, like inflation and immigration on the southern border.

Headrick also says both candidates at times failed to answer the moderators’ questions, and misled voters in their responses.

She says moderators’ fact-checking in real time those claims during the debate allowed viewers to gain perspective on some of those claims, in a way that the previous Biden/Trump debate on CNN did not.