Tracy Hudson of Burlington, Ont., says this week’s U.S. presidential debate went about how she expected it to go, but not necessarily how she wanted it to unravel.
Vice-President Kamala Harris, the Democrat presidential candidate, gave a “very commanding performance,” Hudson said, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump “ranted and yelled, and didn’t answer the questions.”
Hudson is a former teacher and ex-patriate from Michigan who volunteers with Democrats Abroad, managing social media.
Hudson, 56, said Harris effectively riled up her opponent and kept the former president off message.
“I wish that she didn’t have to do that, but you’ve got to play the player you’re playing,” Hudson said.
Tuesday night’s debate was the first time Trump and Harris faced off on stage during this tight race for the White House, and the first time they’ve met. No other debates between the presidential candidates are scheduled.
Analysts have said Harris intentionally kept Trump off-message by goading him to respond defensively to jabs at topics including his felony conviction and the amount of people who attend his rallies.
Trump told reporters it was his “best debate.”
Former U.S. president Donald Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris went head-to-head Tuesday at the ABC News Presidential Debate – trading barbs over immigration, abortion and foreign policy.
Hudson said she would have appreciated a more positive discussion.
“I think we would all like to get back to normal politics where we can trust politicians on both sides to want to do what’s best for the American people,” she said, adding that in her opinion, Trump is only focused on himself.
Trump proved that on stage Tuesday night by spending so much time talking about himself, said Henry Giroux, a McMaster University professor who studies politics and fascism.
“He has no sense of being a public servant,” Giroux said.
During the debate, Trump made baseless claims. These included that migrants in Ohio were killing and eating people’s pets, and Democrats support abortion up until the final months of pregnancy, in addition to executing babies after birth. Debate moderators challenged him on those comments.
Trump allies, including Robert Kennedy Jr., argued moderators should have challenged Harris more, such as when she quoted Trump out of context.
Giroux said he’s used to hearing Trump make false claims, but he “revealed himself” in the debate, in particular when boasted about autocratic Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán‘s support for him.
Giroux said Trump and should not be viewed as if he were a normal candidate.
In the U.S. and Canada, there’s alarm about growing polarization, but “the struggle for democracy should never be considered a nuisance,” Giroux said.
“We should always be struggling with what it means to make a country more just,” as well as looking at why divisions exist, he said.
Giroux added that the state of American democracy matters in Canada, too, because whatever happens there will affect us here.
“The United States is the most powerful country in the world, and in many ways, they set the moral standard.”
For Hudson, a Burlington resident for 15 years who lived in Quebec for seven before that, voting in U.S. elections is important. A member of a local American women’s club, Hudson said she still has strong ties south of the border and wants to make life better for her loved ones there. As a Canadian, she’s cognizant of the impact American politics has in Canada.
The National’s U.S. political panel breaks down the key moments from the first debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and what it means for the U.S. presidential race.
Hudson said that when she comes across expats who don’t vote, she reminds them that Americans abroad still file taxes in the U.S.
“We fought a revolution over no taxation without representation, so if you file taxes, you should be voting,” she said.
American citizens abroad can learn more about how to vote from her organization, she said, noting that Sept. 21 is when expats can have their ballots emailed to them.
She added that people should also keep in mind that the children of American citizens can usually vote in U.S. elections too.