Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump met on the debate stage for the first time Tuesday night in Philadelphia. The debate stage was the first time the two had met in person as well.
For more than 90 minutes the two traded exchanges on a variety of topics from immigration, to the economy to abortion. The debate has been described as contentious, fiery and feisty in national reports.
This may be the only time that Vice President Harris and former President Trump meet in a debate before voters decide the election. The campaigns have discussed a possible second debate but no deal has been struck.
The debate was expected to be a “must watch” for many voters. An NPR/PBS Marist poll conducted before the debate indicated that 7 in 10 Americans expected to watch the debate. Three in 10 said the outcome of the debate would impact their vote.
We’re less than two months out from Election Day. Early voting begins Oct. 8.
The stakes going into the date were enormous for both candidates. The race between Harris and Trump is close. The landscape for the election has changed dramatically since President Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 race and Democrats consolidated around Harris as the Democratic nominee.
We are going to discuss the debate on Wednesday’s “Sound of Ideas” with a group of political experts from Northeast Ohio.
If you want to take part in the 2024 election, you have until Oct. 7 to register to vote. You can find details on the Ohio Secretary of State's web site or by contacting or going to your local county board of elections web site.
Guests:
-Thomas Sutton, Ph.D., Professor Political Science, Acting President and Interim Provost, Baldwin Wallace University
-Matt Cox, Founder and President, Capitol Partners
-Kathryn Lavelle, Ph.D., Professor in the Department of Political Science at Case Western Reserve University
-Quentin James, Founder and President, The Collective PAC