Barbara Perry on Harris Interview, Policies, Conduct

SHE IS NOT JUST A WOMAN BUT A WOMAN OF COLOR. DOES NOT SEEM SHE IS EAGER TO DISCUSS THAT. HOW DID YOU VIEW NOT JUST HER CONDUCT IN THE INTERVIEW LAST NIGHT IN THAT REGARD WHAT WE HAVE SEEN SO FAR FROM HER CAMPAIGN? >> FIRST OF ALL AS ALWAYS, GREAT TO BE WITH YOU FROM CHARLOTTESVILLE AND UVA. I THINK A GOOD SIGN FOR ME AND I WILL ANSWER THIS PERSONALLY IS JUST WHAT YOU HAVE NOTED AND REMARKED UPON. THAT IS THE VICE PRESIDENT HAS NOT BEEN TALKING MUCH ABOUT HER GENDER OR RACE OR ETHNICITY. OTHERS CERTAINLY HAVE. AS YOU SAY, IT IS HISTORIC. IT IS NOT HISTORIC AT THIS POINT TO HAVE A WOMAN AT THE TOP OF THE TICKET. WE HAD HILLARY CLINTON. . YOU CAN BE UNDERSTANDING OF WHY SHE DOES NOT WANT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THAT BECAUSE THAT TURNED OUT POORLY FOR SECRETARY CLINTON IN 2016. DONALD TRUMP ONE THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND THE PRESIDENCY. WHAT I AM REFERRING TO IS BY MY NOT THINKING ABOUT SHE IS NOT TALKING ABOUT HER GENDER OR HER RACE OR HER ETHNICITY, MEN DON'T HAVE TO STAND UP ON THE STUMP OR BE AT THE DEBATE OR BE IN AN INTERVIEW AND TALK ABOUT BEING A MAN. WE DO NEED TO GET TO THAT POINT WHERE IT IS NOT OLD HAT. . BUT WE JUST MOVE ON AND SAY LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS PERSON'S BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE IN EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS. I THINK THAT IS WHERE WE ARE. YOU WILL NOTICE THAT BARACK OBAMA DID NOT WANT TO TALK A LOT ABOUT RACE WHEN HE WAS RUNNING FOR THE NOMINATION AGAINST HILLARY CLINTON IN 2008. WHEN IT CAME' UP ABOUT THE CONTROVERSY WITH HIS PASTOR JEREMIAH WRIGHT, HE HAD TO GIVE A SPEECH ABOUT RACE. I WOULD SAY THE SAME THING AS A PERSON WHO STUDIES THE KENNEDYS AND PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY. SENATOR KENNEDY AND A 1960 DID NOT WANT TO BRING UP HIS RELIGION. HE WOULD BECOME THE FIRST ROMAN CATHOLIC RESIDENT. BUT WHEN HE STARTED BEING ATTACKED IN SEPTEMBER OF THAT ELECTION YEAR, HE GAVE A FAMOUS SPEECH ABOUT BEING CATHOLIC AND THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE. IN A WAY YOU COULD SAY KAMALA HARRIS IS FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF PRESIDENT KENNEDY AND OBAMA OF LEADING -- LEAVING THAT TO THE SIDE AND TALKING ABOUT THE ISSUES. KAILEY: ALTHOUGH SHE IS BEING ATTACKED. TO YOUR POINT THE PLAYER CANDIDATES HAVE HAD TO ADDRESS THESE KIND OF THINGS AT THAT POINT. IT RAISES THE IDEA THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS EQUATION IS THE CONDUCT OF DONALD TRUMP AND THE WAY HE IS TALKING ABOUT HER. I TALKED ABOUT THAT WITH THE ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF JOURNALISM AND MEDIA AT AMERICAN UNIVERSITY. THIS IS WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY. >> WOMEN AND WOMEN OF COLOR HAVE TO PROVE THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT SHE KNOWS. . THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE LEANING ON. AND THEY ARE HOPING HE WILL DO THE DIRTY WORK FOR HER FRANKLY. BE SO RACIST IN HIS COMMENTARY AND THAT WILL BE PUBLICIZED AND THAT IS ALL SHE HAS TO DO. KAILEY: PROFESSOR, I WONDER IF THE ACTUAL QUESTION HERE IS AS MUCH OF THE WAY KAMALA HARRIS TALKS ABOUT THESE THINGS AS IT IS ABOUT DONALD TRUMP. WE HAVE MULTIPLE ELECTION CYCLES OF HIS BEHAVIOR TO LOOK BACK UPON. >> WE DO AND WE KNOW HE MAKES PERSONNEL COMMENTS AND INDEED RACIAL COMMENTS, MISOGYNISTIC COMMENTS, SEXUAL COMMENTS. WE KNOW HIS PERSONAL HISTORY FROM THE ACCESS HOLLYWOOD TAPE IN 2016 AS WELL AS HIS BEING CONVICTED OF SEXUAL ABUSE IN A NEW YORK COURT. WE KNOW HIS BACKGROUND AND WE KNOW HIS PROPENSITY. I WOULD HAVE TO AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE. DON'T GET DOWN IN THE MUD AND WRESTLE. YOU ONLY COME UP LOOKING MUDDY YOURSELF. . IN THE CASE OF KAMALA HARRIS, MAYBE MORE SO THAN JOHN KENNEDY AS A ROMAN CATHOLIC OR BARACK OBAMA AS A BLACK MAN. . SHE HAS THESE THREE ELEMENTS THAT COULD WORK AGAINST HER AMONG SOME PEOPLE. SO JUST CONTINUE TO DO WHAT SHE IS DOING. SHE IS CONTINUING TO SURGE IN THE POLLS. SHE HAS HAD A GREAT FIVE WEEKS. SHE HAD AN ALMOST PERFECT CONVENTION. SHE DID FIND LAST NIGHT IN THE INTERVIEW. THE NEXT BIG CHALLENGE FOR HER WILL BE THE DEBATE STAGE. IF SHE WERE TO CALL ME, I WOULD SAY DO WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING AS MY DAD USED TO SAY WHEN I WAS SUCCESSFUL. DO WHAT YOU ARE DOING. IT IS WORKING FOR YOU. . IT IS WORKING FOR HER. DON'T GET DOWN AT HIS MUDDY LEVEL AND WRESTLE. BE CLEAR ON THE TOPICS. IF HE UNDERCUTS HIMSELF, SO BE IT. KAILEY: IN TERMS OF WHAT IS WORKING FOR HER, A KIND OF DESCRIPTOR OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN SEEING IN TERMS OF THE FUNDRAISING AND THE ENERGY, IT HAS BEEN SAID TO ME MANY TIMES IT IS VIBES. THIS IS VIBES SHE HAS GOING FOR HER RIGHT NOW. LOOKING BACK AT HISTORY, DO VIBES WIN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS? >> IT IS THE FIRST TIME AS A POLITICAL SCIENTIST AS WELL AS SOMEONE WHO STUDIES PRESIDENTIAL HISTORY I HAVE EVER HEARD THAT TERM REFERRED TO. USUALLY IT WAS THE BIG MOMENTUM. I THINK IT IS SIMILAR TO THAT. I WOULD SAY WE SAW THAT PARTICULARLY IN 2000 -- EXCUSE ME, IN 2008 WITH BARACK OBAMA. THERE WAS A LOT OF JOY AND A LOT OF MOMENTUM. I'M NOT SURE WE CALLED IT A VIBE IN THOSE DAYS. MAYBE WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THE BEACH BOYS FROM THE 1960'S. BUT THERE IS A CERTAIN VIBRANCY ABOUT KAMALA HARRIS AND TIM WALZ, HER RUNNING MATE. THEY ARE ENERGETIC. THEY ARE JOYFUL AS THEY ARE CALLING THEMSELVES. JOYFUL WARRIORS. THAT SEEMS TO BE WORKING. PARTICULARLY IF PEOPLE ARE HOPING FOR THAT, THEY ARE HOPING FOR A SENSE OF JOY AND POSITIVITY AND OPTIMISM WHICH IS NOT TYPICALLY THE DONALD TRUMP APPROACH TO CAMPAIGNING WORK FOR THAT MATTER OF GOVERNING. KAILEY: THOSE THAT MEAN THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO SKATE THROUGH THE NEXT 66 DAYS UNTIL ELECTION DAY ON VIBES ALONE WITHOUT HAVING TO GET MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT THE ACTUAL KIND OF POLICY THEY WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO THE TABLE? KAMALA HARRIS TOUCHED ON SOME OF THAT LAST NIGHT. LARGE BROAD STROKES WE HAD HEARD FROM HER BUT NOT VERY GRANULAR. >> I AM ALWAYS A LITTLE PUZZLED BY THAT ANALYSIS. ON THE ECONOMY, SHE GAVE A PRETTY SPECIFIC SPEECH IN RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA A COUPLE WEEKS AGO ABOUT HER ECONOMIC PLAN. IT MAY NOT HAVE ALL THE DETAILS SOME PEOPLE WOULD LIKE. AGAIN, IF SHE WERE TO CALL ME, I WOULD SAY KEEP IT ABOUT THAT LEVEL. COME UP WITH A THEME AND FOR HER IT IS THE OPPORTUNITY ECONOMY. SHE HAD THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT APPROACHES IN TERMS OF OFFERING FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS A $25,000 HELP FOR DOWN PAYMENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT. THOSE KIND OF THINGS I THINK SHE HAS BEEN SPECIFIC ON. IF SHE DOES NOT GET A CONGRESS, SHE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PASS THESE THINGS ANYWAY. SHE NEEDS TO BE GENERALLY AS SPECIFIC -- THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN OXYMORON BUT SHE NEEDS TO HAVE THE BROADBRUSH DRUGS AND BE AS DETAILED AS SHE CAN. SHE HAS BEEN ABOUT GAZA. SHE HAS BEEN ABOUT THE ECONOMY. SHE HAS BEEN ABOUT HEALTH CARE. SHE HAS BEEN ABOUT ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM AND IVF. I FIND IT A LITTLE BIT PUZZLING PEOPLE ARE SAYING SHE IS NOT BEING SPECIFIC. MAYBE NOT SPECIFIC FOR SOME PEOPLE. I WOULD CONTRAST THAT WITH DONALD TRUMP WHO OFTEN DOES NOT OFFER SPECIFICS OR WHEN HE DOES, THEY ARE INACCURATE. >> I GUESS PERHAPS HERE AT BLOOMBERG FINANCIAL DATA AND ECONOMIC INDICATORS AND NUMBERS ARE WHAT WE LIVE FOR. MAYBE THAT IS WHAT OUR AUDIENCE MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR A LITTLE MORE OF. MY FINAL QUESTION IS WE WILL HEAR FROM KAMALA HARRIS AND DONALD TRUMP JOINTLY ON STAGE IN LESS THAN TWO WAKES IN THE -- TWO WEEKS. WE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK BACK TO KENNEDY AND NIXON TO UNDERSTAND PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES CAN BE TRANSFORMATIVE. WE HAVE SEEN THIS THIS TIME AROUND BECAUSE IT WAS THE JUNE 27 DEBATE THAT PRECIPITATED JOE BIDEN DROPPING OUT OF THE RACE. HOW CONSEQUENTIAL WILL IT BE? >> A FOR EXAMPLE THE VICE PRESIDENT SHOULD HAVE A TERRIBLE STUMBLE AND THAT IS WHAT SHE HAS TO AVOID AT ALL COSTS, A TERRIBLE STATEMENT AND I GO BACK TO 1976. GERALD FORD, THE PRESIDENT RUNNING AGAINST JIMMY CARTER AND INSISTING POLAND WAS NOT UNDER SOVIET DOMINATION EVEN WHEN HE WAS PRESSED ON IT. HE SAID IT AGAIN. THAT WAS JUST INACCURATE. . IT WAS A TERRIBLE MISSPEAK. THAT LED IN ART TO HIS LOSING A CLOSE ELECTION TO JIMMY CARTER IN ADDITION TO THE FACT FORD HAD PARDONED NIXON AND THAT HURT HIM AS WELL. IT WAS A BAD ECONOMY AND A LOT OF INFLATION. AVOID MISSPEAKING. AVOID INACCURACIES. DON'T GET DOWN AT THE SAME LEVEL AS TRUMP. BE SHARP AND COME BACK IF SHE NEEDS TO COME BACK AT HIS ACCUSATIONS OR IF SHE NEEDS TO CORRECT HIM. OR IF SHE NEEDS TO EXPLAIN HERSELF. I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT DONALD TRUMP IS LIKE AND HOW HE WILL PRESENT HIMSELF AND WHAT KINDS OF THINGS HE WILL SAY. SHE JUST NEEDS TO CHECK ANOTHER BOX AND SAY GOT THROUGH THAT. DID NOT MAKE ANY BIG MISTAKES AND SHOW HERSELF TO BE THE PROFESSIONAL SHE IS.