Our Post Debate Quick Takes

In this episode Mary, Raiyan, Kennedy and Michelle are joined by WACH President Dr. Joyce Davis to give our quick thoughts on the Presidential debate between Kamala Harris & Donald Trump.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
[Music]

(00:09):
Hi everyone, welcome back to NextGenPA.
We just have a short episode for you this week,
the presidential debate happened last night,
and we wanted to get together and share with you a few of our takeaways and thoughts
from what we heard last night.
So I hope you take a listen and enjoy.
First, I was really happy that they shook hands.
Because I think that's just a common formality,

(00:33):
showing signs of respect between the two candidates,
which is really all I'm looking for at this point is just some respect.
And it was,
"Common and Harris definitely had a clear voice,
and she had a clear message for everyone that was watching."
And she knew the points to hit,
and I definitely think she hit them.

(00:54):
She hit on the abortion topic,
immigration, fracking, which I'm really glad that they brought up,
because her opinions has been debated on that,
where she stands with fracking.
And I definitely thought that Trump was a little bit rattled by her.
He wasn't used to a new person to debate.

(01:18):
And he definitely had his points too.
He knew no matter what the question that was asked,
he was going to hit these points, and he definitely did.
So yeah, I also like that they did a little bit more fact checking on both sides,
and they did in the last one, which I thought was very important.
Yeah, Ryan, did you want to go next? What did you think?

(01:42):
I was like, I guess,
pleasantly surprised by Conlow's performance.
Given that she didn't really have debating experience on this level before,
I thought she handled it pretty well.
Right, I have to just say right here though, she's a prosecutor.

(02:04):
I was just about to do this.
We did talk about this.
We did talk about this, but I was thinking maybe the nurse may have gone down to her,
because it's like it's a global stage, I feel like.
So it was like a bit new, but like yeah, she definitely had this skill set to perform what she did.

(02:25):
I think in my opinion.
Yeah, there was some interesting like claims.
Like I didn't watch the full debate, but like,
I think they had, they like, they cut Trump off a bunch of times that I've seen.
I was like, yeah, to move on and like, so that was interesting.

(02:47):
And I feel like he was getting kind of frustrated regarding that, but I don't know to keep going.
I feel like you kept going.
But yeah, that is true. He did keep going.
I thought, what was the one part where.
I think they were talking about gun control and like, like, Kamala said that she had,

(03:12):
she has a gun and everything.
And it's like, I don't know.
I didn't expect that, but like, she was kind of like, she was out there.
And like, I think that was a good point to make.
Like, she is a gun. She doesn't want to take it away.
It's just like one of those messages.
Like, it's not really convoluted, but like, she just said it straight up.
You know, we both have like her and Tim Waltz both have guns, but like,

(03:33):
she wants restrictions not to take them away.
So I thought I thought it was a good debate for her.
Yeah, it was a lot that that was talked about it, but that was surprising to me too.
When she said, I have a gun.
What's your new, your prosecutor, right? She's been in law enforcement.
So yeah, go ahead, Ken, do you got something to say?

(03:54):
Yes. So I was going to start by saying, you know, we cannot underestimate the power and confidence of a black woman.
You know, I was so very proud to see her on the stage.
And like, just knowing how fat she is and her policies and also just know who she is in general.
And where she wants to be the country.
So I was very promising for us and also just a new direction for us to progress for it.

(04:16):
And I was seeing Trump is seeing the bill he felt threatened within that of his white privilege and the fear and just kind of like his denial of everything just exuded on that stage.
And specifically when she went on to talk about, you know, people not going to his value.
I felt like that was a great lead way to kind of get him started to not talking about policies because he's a very prideful and is a physical man.

(04:40):
So I don't know. I felt like she did what prosecutors.
She definitely utilized her time.
That's a process.
Thank you.
Thank you.
It's a process.
It's a lot of like, you did an excellent job.
I would say I felt like she would have spoke more strongly towards Israel and Palestine.
However, I will say as a recently specifically last night, I felt like that was the strongest that she's spoken out against it.

(05:05):
So it's appreciative of that.
How are we moving forward?
I do hope that she speaks out more about that.
You know, that, you know, in the eye here.
Yeah, I have a friend to at one of the professors who's really concerned that they that the US should take a stronger position.
But I think they're all in a very difficult position because you know, the US has a policy of supporting Israel and yet been trying to work for a true state solution.

(05:31):
And there's a strong Israeli lobby.
So, you know, it's I think it's hard for even one of those kind of, but as I told one of them that who's really pushing for more help for Palestine that you certainly know, I don't see how you're going to get more from Trump.
And you went from Kamala, I just don't see it. I mean, Michelle.

(05:52):
I thought it was a very good debate. I think the my biggest takeaway was how easy it was to bait Trump and get him to go off topic and talk about his grievance issues.
And I hope that more people saw that and understand that how easy that was and how other world leaders would be able to do the exact same thing.

(06:13):
And he just got derailed. I mean, he couldn't stay on point at all.
He didn't hit really a single one of his talking points well.
He did his whole grievance thing. You know, he tried to do immigration, all that kind of stuff. But all she had to say was crowd sizes. And he just he just went off and he wasn't able to talk about what was needed to be talked about and how easy that would be for someone in actual power to do the same thing to him if he becomes president again.

(06:42):
And we just, you know, something terrible happens as a result. And I think that's what worried me the most. And I think and I hope other people saw that as well.
Yeah, Kennedy. Michelle. Yeah.
Oh, I'm sorry. No, I was going to say I definitely agree with that was a per se. And I think like the way which you were disseminating misinformation the entire time.

(07:03):
It's scary to think because I understand like, you know, who's older base will actually listen to him and people actually believe some of the things which are coming out of his mouth.
So it's here to think about like also something that was funny, but here you as well too, I guess, was when they were like, the president Trump, do you have a plan? What is your plan? What is your plan?
So well, I have a concept of a plan. Okay. So he doesn't really have a plan for our democracy to even restore it. But everything else he doesn't even want to say be a democracy.

(07:36):
Yeah, I think it was really stark the contrast, especially when they were doing the side by sides of, you know, Kamala and Trump on the screen and you could see, you know, his face was just like,
this is my worst nightmare. I don't want to be here right now. It was very, I'm sure the body language experts will have some amazing things to say in the next couple days about, you know, the two contrasts.

(07:59):
But I think, you know, all the points we're making are all making the same points that it was really just Trump wanting to go out there and do his same things that he was doing before thinking that they would land.
And then Kamala being there and doing what she does best, being a prosecutor, being able to talk, make her case. And as I said, just leaving those little red crumbs and showing how easy it is to just make him look like a complete fool.

(08:24):
And it's a shame really that there is such a large portion of the population that still supports him and are going to support him no matter what.
And it really doesn't matter how the debate went, you know, it really wouldn't have mattered what had happened. He's still going to have that ceiling of, you know, 48, 49% of the population.
But what I think Kamala did masterfully was she was trying to speak to that like 8% of the undecided voters.

(08:51):
And she wasn't trying to be really out there, you know, with her left wing policies, whether you agree with them or not, she was talking to the people in the middle saying, I'm going to be here for you.
I'm a con-owner, you know, all that kind of stuff, you know, you could be a person of faith and still believe that a woman should have the right to choose what to do with her body.
And I think that was the most important thing that needed to get across. And I think she did that really, really well.

(09:14):
Well, Michelle, I think and that the way she described, do you really want somebody bleeding to death in the parking lot because they can't get health.
I mean, that brought it into sharp relief because that's the truth. That is what's happening these days. Women can't, in an emergency situation can't get health care.
So it it was powerful. I mean, there was I was honestly all I wanted all I thought she needed to do was to stand up to Trump not to seem to be intimidated.

(09:44):
But I think she took it a little bit further than that. Here's here's the other thing guys and you guys know I'm a lady of a certain age.
But I think it's time to move on the past the torture because he was just focused on the same old same old and at least this is a new a newer generation coming in who still I mean she's still almost 60 right so it's not like she's a spring chicken but she's it's just the whole different forward looking mindset right and as Mary said.

(10:15):
I do like the fact that she managed to do all this and not while in the gutter herself not bring it down right.
Yeah, she was just like so moving I thought like you were saying when she was talking about abortion and really painting that picture of what it would look like.

(10:36):
And someone that kick it and abortion or proper health care proper women's care. So that was just like so moving and that wasn't something I've seen an end to be like forever with Biden with Trump but it was never really like moved by them and she really did that.
And yeah, she really definitely appealed to the undecided voters and even the Republicans by saying that she owns a gun I think that was very tactical by doing that if that's a word but yeah.

(11:10):
Well, here we go we're headed now we're rushing into November 5th right rushing is there something you guys thought didn't get to talk about that should have been talked about I got a message to that letter to the other day that said nobody talked about China so was there something you thought was missed.

(11:32):
I'm definitely more of an emphasis on reparations now that has been conflicting for the parties and just kind of like the whole division of our country right now.
Yes, but I think that that is something that I'm a large part of her voter base is looking for her to do and I know she said recently.

(11:54):
I'm sharing a conference that that would be one of the first things that she started to all think they'd come across her desk for reparations on African Americans.
So it's open as she would have spoke about that and also kind of more emphasis on social justice.
And kind of just like reimagining with that how that can look for us as nation, specifically along the realms of leasing and just community building.

(12:22):
I'm going to sound like Trump now, but if they can't get if they can't get a student loan.
I'm going to get reparations for anybody.
We can have hope you know when it's going to get help.
They can even get I mean he's right I wish they could get help for you guys with your tuition.

(12:43):
I mean, with all the loans, but that maybe if she's in that with that could happen, you know, maybe in the years that could happen.
Is that important to you guys the student loan stuff?
No, poor and here.
Yeah, I have I have very little hope that it's going to happen.

(13:06):
So yeah, I don't have to deal with that yet.
So, if you don't get involved with it, you will, right?
Unless you're independently wealthy, then you'll just pay for the.
I wish.
Well, good discussion, good discussion.

(13:31):
Next Gen PA is a podcast from the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg.
For more information on the World Affairs Council of Harrisburg, visit our website at wacaresberg.org.
[MUSIC]