Kamala Harris entered Tuesday night’s presidential debate with a clear plan: to dominate and destabilize Donald Trump.
It all started with her first show of strength, when she strode across the packed Philadelphia stage to demand a handshake. It was her taking the initiative, and a telling sign that the surprise presidential candidate was eager to exert control over an opponent who usually dominates such stages.
In the hours since that spectacular confrontation, political pundits and television networks have devoted much time to praising and analyzing Harris’s approach. Her teasing and elbowing of Trump. Her mocking, derisive laughter as she teased him with personal attacks, then watched him lose his cool and retaliate angrily.
The breadth and tone of this coverage is largely due to the fact that her strategy was successful. The few snap polls we saw after the debate pointed to a landslide victory for Harris. And while the history of American elections shows that this doesn’t always translate into victory in November, it’s surprising to see Harris go after Trump so aggressively.
But as effective as this approach is, it is ultimately superficial: it is about body language, facial expressions and sharp retorts.
Before this event, polls consistently suggested that voters wanted to know more about Harris’s position on key issues. Her campaign has so far been light, even vague, on concrete policies. And even though Trump is more established, voters are certainly still eager to know what he would do concretely if reelected.
So did the debate teach us anything about what either would do once in power? Not particularly.
Harris came with prepared excerpts to explain her economic proposals that she has already outlined — a $6,000 child tax credit, a $50,000 tax cut for small businesses and $25,000 to help first-time homebuyers find a down payment. She argued that Trump’s proposed tariffs on imported goods would lead to higher prices for consumers.
These are all things we have heard many times before during the campaign.
Harris did not answer questions about why the Biden administration, which she has led for nearly four years, has maintained a number of tariffs introduced by Trump. Nor did she explain how she would try to combat inflation, which consistently emerges as a top concern for many voters in polls.
But Trump’s attempt to capitalize on this clear and obvious weakness of Harris’s (he has described his rival’s economic policies as Marxist) was lost when he veered into a response about illegal immigrants, claiming that “bad immigration” is the worst thing that can happen to the economy.
This exchange is indicative of the evening as a whole. The heated debates were not without passion, but neither side made much of the politics.

More coverage of the debate

The Trump campaign wants to portray Harris as a radical leftist by reminding voters that she has already said she would ban fracking, nationalize health insurance and decriminalize illegal border crossings.
Asked directly why so many of her policy positions have changed, Harris said she would discuss each point raised — but in reality, she only explained why she voted for new fracking contracts to reduce dependence on foreign oil. Once again, Trump, angry, failed to capitalize on the policy shifts directly raised.
These were easy opportunities to sell himself as a consistent policy man. He could have stressed his positions on key issues and touted the policy accomplishments of his first term. Instead, viewers saw the former president on the defensive, distracted by Harris’ barbs that he could have chosen to ignore.
He keeps returning to immigration, his favorite topic, which he says is more important than ever. Yet even on such comfortable ground, he has failed to describe how he would go about deporting millions of illegal immigrants. There are more familiar noises, but still few concrete proposals.
This debate was the first opportunity for voters to see the two candidates face off. They were able to compare their behavior, temperament and body language. But above all, they did not have much to compare their government plans with.
One moment on Tuesday night is particularly revealing.
For nine years, Trump has said he wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), but he has had to admit that he has yet to come up with a plan to replace it. “I have the ideas of a plan,” he responded.
And after that 90-minute prime-time showdown, voters probably had only “ideas” about what each of these candidates would do if elected to the White House.