Scott Jennings: Former Special Adviser to George W Bush ahead of the debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will be in the same room for the first time today. 

The pair are going head-to-head in a widely anticipated debate, just under two months out from the election. 

Several polls show there's only a few points either way in many states. 

Former Special Adviser to George W Bush, Scott Jennings told Mike Hosking Harris will have pressure to explain how she's changed her position on some policies.  

He says how she handles those flip flops is going to tell us a lot about her political skill. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
To bite Diana America. The last one changed the course
of the Rice, of course, so all eyes on Philly.
Today's Donald Trump lines up against Kamala Harris. See an
in common title film special assistant to George Bush, Scott
Jennings with us, good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good morning, glad to be with you now.

Speaker 1 (00:12):
By why I have a singular event in a big Rice.
What white do you place on today's event?

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Well, it's a big deal because it may be the
only debate between Trump and Harris. Historically, presidential debates have
not moved the numbers in a huge way, although earlier
this summer in June, we did see a debate obviously
changed the campaign dramatically because it led to the dropout
of Joe Biden. This is Kamala Harris's first chance to
do something that's rather unscripted. Most of what she has

(00:39):
done so far has been off of a teleprompter behind
a podium. So for a lot of the American people,
they know her name, but they don't know much about her,
and this debate may be the first chance to learn.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
The Harris interview I watched, it's one of those things
she said nothing and walked away from it. Seemingly unskythed
how much interest is there in the specifics as opposed
to the Vaughantes.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Well, I do think people want to know which Kamala
Harris were getting here when she ran for president. Before
she ran on quite a liberal or progressive platform. Now
she's saying that she no longer believes in many of
those things. So how she handles those questions tonight about
you know you believe this? Now you say you don't.
You know that that gives you an idea of what

(01:21):
kind of a leader someone would be. So I do
think there's some interest in it. Plus, she's obviously Joe
Biden's vice president. He's not terribly popular. I'm wondering is
she going to separate herself from President Biden in any
way by saying, for instance, you know, he made this decision,
I disagreed with it. I would have done it differently.
I suspect something like that's going to have to happen

(01:42):
at some point.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
What about the frecking decision? For example? Do Americans look
at that and go she count and make up of mind?
Or do they go right, she's on the right side
of it. Last at least we got there.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
Well, I think if you specifically live in Pennsylvania, which
I regard as the most important state, fracking is a
big deal. It has revitalized the state's of con me
and has been just a huge part of what's going
on with the energy industry in Pennsylvania. She used to
oppose it because that was the fashionable thing to do
on the American left. Now she says she wouldn't oppose

(02:13):
it because obviously she needs to win the state of Pennsylvania.
So again, that plus a number of other topics, how
she handles those flip flops is going to tell us
a lot about her political skill tonight, and Americans are
interested in what she has to say about that. Obviously,
liberals or progressives want a ban on fracking, but most
people think we should be producing our own energy here.

(02:35):
So it's a tightrope for her to try to balance
what her base would want versus what perhaps swing voters
in Pennsylvania would want.

Speaker 1 (02:42):
You mentioned Pennsylvania one of the important swing sites, and
looking at an averageable the polls, they're all within the
madun of era. Is it really that tight? Do you
believe the polls in general?

Speaker 2 (02:51):
Yeah, very close race across the board in all the
swing states, Pennsylvania included. It is very close. Nationally. There
have been read national high quality polls in the last
couple of days. One had Trump up, one, one had
him down one, and one had it tied. And so
it is very close, much closer, frankly than the polling
showed in twenty twenty or twenty sixteen. So we're in

(03:14):
a very, very very close race. Now. Some people think
that favors Trump because there are people who are just
hard to poll who end up showing up to vote
for Trump, and he tends to do better than he polls.
But I regarded as close, and I think either campaign
could win any of these swing states that are in play.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
What about Trump and is attacking of her character, of
her personality, and whether that grows his vote? Do you
place weight on that or not.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
I think he should stick to the issues. I think
if he gets into a personality contest, he's unlikely to prevail.
I think if he gets into a contest about who
would represent change in America, he's likely to win the race.
Most people want change, they don't think the country's off
on the right track. They're unhappy about the economic policies
of the current administration. If you stick to those things,

(03:59):
and if you're gone Trump and you say, well, why
would you leave the same people in charge that you're
already mad at, I think that's a winning hand to
get into a personality contest or to an insult contest
with someone I don't think services purposes tonight.

Speaker 1 (04:12):
Can you cool it right now with any level of
confidence or not?

Speaker 2 (04:15):
Not?

Speaker 1 (04:16):
The debate the rice, absolutely not.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
I don't have any level of confidence. I wouldn't hazard
to make a guess. I think it is a total
jump ball. I will say I think Donald Trump is
in better shape today than he was in either twenty
sixteen or twenty twenty. In both of those races, he
was behind, very few people thought he had a chance
to win. That is not the case this time. By

(04:39):
some measures, He's more popular and thought of better today
than he was in either of those races. So I
think Trump's in better shape. But it's a total total
jump ball, and either campaign could prevail, and this debate
tonight is going to be one of the most monumental
points in the race because it may be the last
time we see them together.

Speaker 1 (04:57):
Indeed, Scott, appreciate your time. Go well well, that's Got Jinning,
former special assistant to George Bush. You se him occasionally
on CNN one pm New Zealand Our Time. For more
from the mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks
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