Reflections on a Missing Presidential Debate
In a typical election season—remember those exhilarating times?—we would usually be gearing up for or recovering from the final presidential debate around this time. However, the proposed CNN showdown on October 23, which Vice President Kamala Harris accepted and former President Donald J. Trump declined, came and went without any such event.
Instead of a traditional debate stage, Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump opted for vastly different platforms to convey their messages, effectively staging a virtual debate. Mr. Trump, in a striking departure from typical debate decorum, transformed a closed McDonald’s franchise into his stage, taking on the role of a fry cook. This was not merely a whimsical act but a familiar reality-TV maneuver typical of a candidate like Trump.
This time, he was not mirroring the format of “The Apprentice,” but instead presenting a political version of the popular series “Undercover Boss.” The CBS reality show, which aired for 11 seasons from 2010 to 2022, featured high-ranking executives going incognito to experience the day-to-day lives of their employees. The show aimed to highlight the shared humanity between corporate leaders and their staff, especially in the wake of the financial collapse and the subsequent Great Recession. It served as a form of prime-time public relations, reminding viewers that CEOs were relatable and understood the challenges faced by their workforce.
In stark contrast, Mr. Trump’s brief stint behind the fry cooker, which lasted shorter than a typical episode of “Undercover Boss,” had a different set of objectives. Most prominently, it was a deliberate attempt to harness virality—what news producer could resist the visual of Donald Trump dishing out fries?—to propagate his unfounded claim that Ms. Harris had fabricated her narrative about working at McDonald’s during her college years. Much like his previous birtherism campaign against Barack Obama, media coverage generally pointed out the baseless nature of his allegations, yet the controversy still gained traction, casting seeds of doubt and confusion among the public.