Harris: Sept debate "needs to be fully focused on the problem of Donald Trump"

[Miles Archer]

MSNBC
@MSNBC
Sen. Harris on the upcoming September debate: “I strongly believe that the conversation needs to be fully focused on the problem of Donald Trump and what we need to do to fix and correct for that.”

Link to tweet

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. I agree. They need to focus on how to beat Trump.

All of last night's haggling and hairsplitting over health plans is pointless unless Trump is defeated. If Trump wins we won't get Medicare for All and will probably wind up with Medicare for Nobody.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

20. The Supreme Court will NEVER overturn Medicare ....

In part by 2020, providing NO Justices die, 6 out of the 9 will be 65 or older. Which means by law, they are already are or will be on Medicar by 2020.

Current Ages of the Supreme Court Justices
Ginsburg.....86
Breyer....81
Gorsuch....51
Roberts....64
Alito....69
Sotomayor....64
Thomas....71
Kavanaugh....54
Kagan....59

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

24. The Supreme Court has nothing to say about Medicare, and wouldn't

unless its constitutionality were challenged - but that ship sailed many years ago. Only Congress can change or limit it. And don't think the GOP won't try.

[bluecollar2]

36. None of them need medicare

They can all afford to pay private insurance ce premiums.

I can thi k of five justices that would have no problem overturning Medicare rights, two of whom were appointed in the last three years.

[JI7]

47. yup, all the candidates will sign any bill that expands health care

it's getting it out of Congress that will be difficult.

[wyldwolf]

2. Agree with that.

Finding out attacking other Democrats doesn't serve her as well as she thought it would.

[flamingdem]

33. +1

Yes indeed!

[hlthe2b]

3. Ya think?! I'm guessing her campaign (& surely others) are getting an earful.

[Princetonian]

4. Translation: Harris doesn't want anymore focus on her past.

How amusing.

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

10. Bingo

[LeftTurn3623]

11. I agree with that statement

The truth is I didnt mind the first debate attacks. She wanted to get her name out there and prove she could stand up to anyone including Trump. Get herself in with the top 5.

But I thought last night it just came off really bad. She should have came out and been positive. Played a different hand. I lost a little support for her.

Just seems like we are missing the big picture

[highplainsdem]

15. Nailed it.

[highplainsdem]

16. And yes, it is amusing.

[emmaverybo]

25. Yes. NOW the debate must focus on Trump. New rule since she got a taste of her own medicine

and was totally unprepared.

Whether or not this good advice is followed, Harris should prepare for more concerns about her DA and AG record, which will be raised as she is now, on her own words, “a front runner.”

[Demsrule86]

37. She needs to be able to defend her time as DA and AG...regardless of the debates, if she is the

nominee, it will come up.

[Andy823]

43. So will Bidens past

all the things he has done in the past will be brought up by trump, if Biden is the nominee. He won't be able to change the subject because trump won't let him.

Anyone who becomes the nominee will have to defend things from their past. Biden will not get a pass on it. If he can't take the heat in the primaries he won't be able to take on trump in a the general election.

It's not going to be easy trying to debate a narcissist, they are not like regular people.

[Demsrule86]

44. Biden's past is 50 years ago...and he has years of good things...her's is recent and she has yet to

make any sort of defense...and having read about it...I am not sure she can.

[ismnotwasm]

48. Defense of what, precisely?

[Demsrule86]

58. Her record as DA and AG...

[madville]

49. Harris buckled easily when challenged by Tulsi Gabbard of all people

Showed pretty well how inexperienced she is in a hostile political arena outside of California.

[Devil Child]

5. Reminds me of when my brother called for time out during childhood pillow fight

When the pillow-fight he started escalates out of his control once I find my own pillow to fight back with.

[LeftTurn3623]

12. I really liked Tulsi Gabbard last night

she was really good. I hope she makes it on stage the next debates cause I would like to see more of her.

[crazytown]

60. Tulsi needs to tour Syria again

and ask Assad to stay out of Idlib.

[highplainsdem]

22. Yep.

[emmaverybo]

26. Excellent analogy. NT

[Skya Rhen]

6. This should have been done in the first debate. No?

[highplainsdem]

23. If I recall correctly, that was the focus Biden wanted, but Harris didn't agree then.

[Skya Rhen]

31. True and, as a result, this has created one big mess.

[PoliticAverse]

7. Democrats need to select someone in the primaries that will defeat him in the 2020 election.

Make your case that you are the one to do that.

[TheCowsCameHome]

8. Absolutely.

[LincolnRossiter]

9. What a thought, Kamala.

Getting some disappointing internals back?

[EveHammond13]

13. YES

[JI7]

14. she is right.

[Tetrachloride]

17. 1. Trump 2. its time for C listers to drop. 3. Moscow 4. Moscow Mitch

5. I expect the leading candidates to rise to the top of the cream, not the manure pile.

[Bradical79]

18. I may disagree

Talk about restoring voter rights, strengthening election security, and making the system more inherently Democratic. Talk about how you might make it more likely politicians and the President won't be above the law.

Talking about how to deal with him specifically, should be a very short conversation. As people who are running for POTUS, the only thing relevant to the man specifically is whether or not he is prosecuted by the DOJ for his crimes. The impeachment ship will have sailed by that point, and he'd be out of office.

[bigtree]

19. good pivot

...strong direction.

[highplainsdem]

21. Yes. After two debates insisting on focusing on what Biden did or said decades ago, and then

discovering Gabbard wants to talk about Harris's record, Harris announces it's time to "fully focus" on Trump.

I suppose you could call that a "strong" decision. Others, as you can see from the replies, see it differently.

Biden, as I recall, was in favor of focusing on Trump all along. A good decision Harris disagreed with. Until after her own background started getting more scrutiny than she was comfortable with.

[ancianita]

38. I'm not sure those background issues will go away. Nothing escapes Trump. If she were to allowed

to slide rather than give her "reverend Wright" statement, and then the nomination, Trump would attack her for everything that's wrong with prosecutors, even calling her Killer Kamala.

The media would chew on that for days in their bullshit horse racey way.

Just speculation, I know, but we have to look at the worst possible scenario.

[Cha]

56. Excellent wrapup of recent debate

history, highplains !

Brava! Reality Check!

[Thomas Hurt]

27. Infinitely better than questions about the right wing narrative and intra party tussles.

[Skittles]

28. she is correct

Trump is the biggest problem in America

[mcar]

29. She is right

[lunasun]

30. Can not rec imo everyone should affirm at the opening that trump is evil/monster/trash whatever

Then get on to the issues , climate change being number 1 . Plenty else to talk about besides trump.
But in the openings they can try to out slam each other on trump digs for the ratings they must pay or bring up his lists of crimes investigated, crudeness and racism sexism

That’s fine for 5 -10 minutes, then get down to the differences between them on important stands not that orange menace

[highplainsdem]

32. Wow. Look at the replies on Twitter to the MSNBC tweet the OP links to:

Link to tweet

[flamingdem]

34. Yikes!

Some issues with her I see. Is that group supporting Biden, Bernie? I suspect the latter.

[SouthernProgressive]

35. I guess her staff sat down and had a talk with her. Well done. NT

[Demsrule86]

39. She can call for what she wants...but lower tier candidates will try to go after her just as she

went after Biden... the die is cast I fear.

[jalan48]

40. LOL. No more talking about busing?

[tavernier]

41. Oh? I thought you were going to just continue trashing

other Dems who are running for office. NOW you think Trump should be the target?

[emulatorloo]

42. Oh yeah? The previous debate should have been that way as well.

[Skya Rhen]

45. Why didn't Kamala say this on the debate stage???

[madville]

50. She was busy trying to frame Joe as a racist

She should fire anyone on her staff that came up with that line of attack. If it was all her idea then the primary will be infinitely better the day she has a withdraw.

[real Cannabis calm]

46. K&R

[itsrobert]

51. I agree, but

looks like she didn't enjoy being on the hot seat this time around.

[PatrickforO]

52. Harris is right. Let's not let the media use the debate to create conflict between us.

Let's focus on the prize which is getting rid of Trump.

[highplainsdem]

53. The media had nothing to do with her attack on Biden in the first debate. That was long planned

and rehearsed.

[MustLoveBeagles]

54. Good

I'm glad she finally got the memo.

[Indykatie]

55. Public Blow Back Is Driving this New Change in Debate Strategy.

Guess some candidates are finally figuring out Dems want them to focus on attacking Trump and not each other. Too bad it took dropping poll numbers to drive the message home.

[peggysue2]

57. Glad to hear Kamala Harris has switched gears

In this last debate, she had a taste of where these battles between the past and present drag you. Basically mired in defending your decisions/actions outside the context of time and situational reality. I think she's spot on with this new approach: focus on the disaster known as Trump and how we're going to repair, restore and move forward for the benefit of the American public. Donald Trump is the threat facing us all; the focus belongs on him.

[SidDithers]

59. DU rec...

and LOL at some of the replies in this thread.



Sid