Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris attracted praise for focusing on policies during her maiden interview as the presidential candidate without launching personal attacks on her rival, Donald Trump. For once.
Harris and her running mate Tim Walz appeared on their first TV interview with CNN amid the rising Republican criticism that Harris had been avoiding media interaction since rising to the top of the Democratic ticket.
Harris particularly received appreciation for not attacking her opponent despite having an opportunity to do so. When asked about Trump’s remarks, who claimed that Harris “happened to turn Black,” the vice president only suggested that her rival is just using old campaign tactics to smear her reputation as she advised the host to move on to the next topic.
According to political science professor Susan McWilliams Barndt, Harris’s interview was not the “joy interview” but the “job interview” as he praised the former president for sticking to the policy issues.
Barndt added that Harris kept on building her case in front of Americans and tried to explain why she would be the best fit in the White House based on her experience.
He went on to say that both Harris and Walz managed to maintain their composure and never allowed their emotions to drive the conversation, adding that, at times, she was pressed with pointed questions that she tackled strategically.
The professor further argued that the Harris-Walz campaign decided not to make this interview a joy and only focused on proving their competence and that they could bring joy to the country in some future rally.
Similarly, Stephen Medvic and Mrs. John Kunkel, who hold top academic positions at Franklin & Marshall College, also praised Harris for her impressive outing. They said that the Democratic candidates managed to accomplish what they wanted to do, which would help them in impressing moderate voters.
Medvic stated that Harris proved to Americans that she can lead the country and does not belong to the far-left faction, as Trump and his allies have tried to portray her. Medvic added that the vice president showed complete command of different issues and told the country that she had previously served as a prosecutor.
In recent weeks, Republicans slammed Harris for avoiding the media even at a time when most outlets throw softballs at the Democratic candidates.
During the interview, Harris was asked why she had changed her long-standing position on some key issues like energy and healthcare. The vice president indicated that the most notable feature of her policy is that her “values have not changed.”
Harris outlined her economic vision, claiming that she is aiming to introduce the “opportunity economy” doctrine to reduce inflation and bring other economic advantages for average Americans.
