The GOP nominee is in the midst of a loud and eventful week, while the VP has a chance to elucidate her stances on positions past and present.
Happy Interview Day! Today, Vice President Kamala Harris is sitting down with CNN’s Dana Bash for the Democratic nominee’s first formal question-and-answer session. Her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, will join her. For political junkies, it’s must-see TV.
- Harris has surfed a torrent of Democratic goodwill and a flood of campaign cash since President Joe Biden stepped aside, pushed by senior party leaders who were fearful-bordering-on-certain he would lose the White House.
- But pressure has mounted for her to lay out specifics of how she would govern – though we’ve argued here that the election is already policy-heavy – and for her to do a proper in-depth interview, not just scattershot sessions with reporters on airport tarmacs.
For the vice president, the interview is a success if she doesn’t blunder (she has in the past) and wins over undecided voters or unenthused Democrats. For CNN, the interview is a success if she makes news. For Americans who have not picked their 2024 candidate, the interview is a success if they get the answers they need to whatever questions they may have about her plans.
The waiting has raised the stakes for the conversation, which CNN is slated to air at 9 p.m. Eastern. But in terms of potential impact on the race, the interview is just an appetizer for the main course: Harris’ debate with former President Donald Trump on Sept. 10.
The Journalism of It All
The French have a term, “déformation professionnelle.” It refers to the habit of seeing something through the lens of their job rather than through a broader – arguably more human – lens. Let me demonstrate.
Looking at the interview, it seems to me there are two broad categories of questions that could generate news.
- “Respond to Trump saying/doing XYZ.”
“Tell us where and how you would break with Biden’s policies/the policies you proposed when you ran for president in the 2020 cycle. Or tell us which policies you will keep or expand.”
The Trump of It All
Over the past few days, the former president and his campaign have provided a lot of potential fodder.
In the real world, there was the incident at Arlington National Cemetery. On Trump’s Truth Social Media account, there was the QAnon conspiracy promotion, the resharing of a call for a military trial of former President Barack Obama, a repost of a lewd sexual smear aimed at Harris and Hillary Clinton, and much more.
Trump also announced he was putting former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his transition team. (There’s a certain political logic there: Part of the former president’s appeal in 2016 was the idea that he would burn down a system many Americans see as rotten and unreformable. He may be trying to recapture those vibes.)
And that’s before you get into policy fights over access to abortion, immigration, the cost of living, and the like. There’s also that whole superseding indictment thing, which has prompted plenty of Trumpian rage.
Our Questions for Harris (We’re Skipping Walz for Now)
As we’ve noted before, CNN’s Dana Bash is fully capable and we’re fully confident she’ll conduct a thorough interview. But here’s a rundown of what we’d ask if we were in the seat across from the vice president.
- Some economists say federal spending was a factor in sending the cost of everyday necessities up about 20% since you took office. This has hurt working-class Americans and those on a fixed income the most. Do you acknowledge that responsibility? Can you realistically bring down prices – not inflation, prices? How?
- How would your policy toward Israel and Gaza be different from Biden’s? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to have ignored Biden’s entreaties about how to conduct this war and how to plan for Gaza’s future. How will you interact with him?
- You never had the title “border czar,” but you were in charge of tackling the root causes of migration and convincing Latin American countries to help stem the flow of people to the United States. What would you point to as your most notable success? Biden also has embraced policies he had not before, and of late, border crossings have dropped. Do you wish he had taken such steps – particularly his move triggering the suspension of asylum – earlier?
- Millions of Americans are caring for aging, ill, or disabled loved ones – it’s costly, it’s stressful. What concrete steps will your administration take to help them?
Rapid-fire round: Do you still support a ban on fracking? Do you still support Medicare for All, and if so, would you call for the end of private health insurance? Do you still support mandatory buybacks of assault rifles? How about decriminalizing unauthorized border crossings?
And because they can’t all be serious, let’s close with a goofy one I’ve always liked:
Leave a Reply