Things to Watch in Tuesday's Big Debate

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris debate in prime time Tuesday night, and pretty much every major media site has its own list of things to watch. A sampling ahead of the 90-minute showdown in Philadelphia, which begins at 9pm ET on ABC:

• Harris: The former prosecutor is known as a "sharp debater," per the Washington Post, but she "needs to avoid being drawn into an ugly back-and-forth with him." As Democratic strategist Tim Hogan puts it: "You have to parry his attacks and you have to push back, but you also don't want to get stuck there." She has never been in a debate against a rival who likes to throw so many figurative punches, and she'll need to keep her cool.
• Trump: Politico sees Trump's standing with female voters as the "weak spot" in his campaign, and its analysis suggests he'd do well to avoid personal attacks because of that. But similar to the Post advice for Harris, the Politico piece warns that Trump also must keep his cool. "She's going to try to bait him," a person close to the former president tells the outlet. "I mean, the lines are almost predictable, right? So the question is does he take it or not."

• Interaction: As USA Today notes, "political observers will dissect every second of how the two interact in the first few minutes, including how they respond to each other's attacks and the moderators." It notes that Sarah Palin won points at the start of her VP debate with Joe Biden years ago by asking, "Can I call you Joe?" And dovetailing with all of the above, GOP consultant Liz Mair specifies a Trump challenge: "It's very difficult for male candidates to come off as forceful and authoritative without coming off as being sexist, patronizing, (and) condescending."
• Biden separation: A Wall Street Journal preview suggests a key task for Harris will be to tactfully separate herself from President Biden. Trump has been regularly linking her to White House initiatives, while Harris has been pushing a slogan of "a new way forward." Given Biden's relative unpopularity, she'll likely push the issue Tuesday night, and Trump will likely push back.
• Roe v. Wade: The New York Times expects Harris to "go on offense on abortion" by noting his appointment to the Supreme Court the justices who dismantled Roe v. Wade. She might even mention that he once spoke of punishing women who sought abortions, though he has since rejected that idea. Trump, for his part, will likely reiterate that it's an issue for the states and speak of his support for IVF treatments.

(More Kamala Harris 2024 stories.)