UofSC Political Science Dept. Chair previews what lies ahead for Tuesday’s debate

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — With five weeks to go until Election Day, President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are set to go head-to-head in their first debate Tuesday in Cleveland.

University of South Carolina Political Science Chair Kirk Randazzo says the first presidential debate is usually a time for people to get to know more about who is running for office.

However, with the national recognition both candidates have, as well as a recent poll that says 85% of voters already know whom they are voting for, Randazzo says this debate will be a little different.

“This debate, let alone any of the other debate in the next couple of weeks, they’re going to do very little to move the needle. You’re only playing for 10-15% of the electorate that haven’t made up their mind,” Randazzo said.

Randazzo expects the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recovery will come up prominently on Tuesday, but he would not be surprised if President Trump had to answer for a New York Times report revealing his income tax returns.

“If he doesn’t evade those questions, then that minds he has to formulate an answer, and I’m not sure that he has one that will resonate with the average individual,” Randazzo said.

Randazzo believes there is a 50-50 chance that the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court will come up, something that he says Joe Biden might have to craft a careful response to.

“He can’t really attack Trump for making a nomination, that’s what presidents do, and at the same time, he has to be careful of attacking Judge Amy Coney Barrett and looking like he’s trying to keep another female candidate off the court, those are potentially bad optics for him,” Randazzo said.

Either way, Randazzo says this debate should be a good opportunity for both Biden and Trump to galvanize their bases and possibly gain new votes before November 3.

After Tuesday’s debate, the two candidates will face off in two more debates: one in Miami on October 15, and another in Nashville on October 22. Their running mates, Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Vice President Mike Pence, will go head-to-head in Salt Lake City on October 7.