Did Debate MOVE THE NEEDLE For Pennsylvania Voters?! Philadelphia Inquirer Journo Weighs In

Pennsylvania will play a pivotal role in this presidential election as it does in most recent election cycles per the latest New York Times polling Harris and Trump virtually neck and neck in the state with Harris at 49% and Trump at 48% swing state has sided with the winner in the past two elections no surprise then that Harris and Trump have both been frequent visitors to Pennsylvania in recent weeks and as a reminder Biden flipped Pennsylvania in 2020 by winning big in Philadelphia and scoring bigger margins in the suburbs around Pittsburgh and Philadelphia back in 2016 Trump narrowly won Pennsylvania carrying predominantly rural or Suburban counties list to Trump recently appealing to Pennsylvania's in the wilbar township this is a very consequential vote in Pennsylvania because they say that if you win Pennsylvania you're going to win the whole thing we cannot let these people we cannot let these people win P meanwhile Harris spent part of her Labor Day in Pittsburgh speaking to a crowd of labor union workers with President Biden let's watch ballots in Pennsylvania will start dropping in 14 days 14 days and this election is as much as anything else a fight for the promise of America for the promise of America we love our country we love our country and we know it is one of the highest forms of patriotism to fight for the ideals of our country and that's what this election is about and about the promise of America and I don't need to tell unions what the promise looks like it's what you do every day she wasted no time right afterwards hosting a rally in Philly we were curious to hear how the debate played in the pivotal State and for that we turn to Julia troso of the Philadelphia Inquirer thanks for coming on Julia thanks for having me so let's get into this how do you think this debate will specifically impact the voters in Pennsylvania that haris needs to carry the state yeah well I think um the target audience for both campaigns are those United voters in States like Pennsylvania and what we know about that group um is that it's a small group it's about uh 3% of the electorate although there's a a larger number about 10% who stay in polls they they could still change their mind so um I think that overall um vice president Harris did a slightly better job of um directing her message at the center um goting the former president into some of the behaviors and trumpisms that we know some moderate voters some undecided voters um uh feel can be alienating um and I've I've talked to some Republicans here in the state today who um you know echoed just that that they might have had some frustrations with the moderators but that they also think it was a bit of a missed opportunity for the former president to to speak to those voters in the center who are really looking for you know any excuse to kind of go in either direction you know I think it was very much yes The Verdict by pundits media professionals that KLA Harris did a somewhat better job in part because of the reasons you mentioned um Donald Trump having to fight uh a couple times with the moderators themselves but I have heard a more mixed review from swing voters particularly on the economic plans uh presented and you know that's really going to make a differ I I suspect in Pennsylvania KLA Harris's record on um energy green issues you she got asked about uh renouncing her her previous stance on on fracking and all of that um do you think the the this you know tiny sliver of of Voters overall in the electorate and in Pennsylvania who will make the difference in this election you know they were paying attention I understand to to those messages in particular that started out being talked about in the debate but I don't know that either candidate really offered a plan that spoke to them yeah there's there style and their substance right and I think that for a lot of Voters the most important question was that first question um about inflation at the top of the debate and in Pennsylvania the the top issue is the economy and a lot of um you know voters I talk to here are are frustrated they're not sure if either candidate has a plan for them and I think you know you're absolutely right that there there wasn't a ton of um substance from either candidate on how to how to address um the the economic concerns that that pennsylvanians have and and you know for the the big attack coming into this debate was um from from former president Trump um with some of these issues that the vice president has has flip flapped on including fracking which is an issue in Pennsylvania um she addressed fracking she didn't address as many of those other issues headon it didn't really become focus of the debate though um so whether that is remains a question for voters you know I think it might but it also wasn't something that um he really capitalized on uh pointing out in the debate either Harris at one point specifically talked about voters in Pennsylvania pointing to the record of approving additional fracking permits being the the deal breaking vote in the key piece of legislation following covid in the inflation reduction act she talked a lot about bringing Manu manufacturing jobs back and having the endorsement of the uaw's president Sean Fain she spoke about the $50,000 in a tax deduction for startups $6,000 for young families in the first year of their child's life and allowing people to pursue home ownership through providing down payment assistance are any of these issues issues you think could win over some of the workingclass pennsylvanians that feel like you know maybe the Democratic party had left them behind in the past yeah I I think um you know Pennsylvania is a state that especially in its big cities and some of its small towns a lot of people are living below the poverty line um the child tax credit was a big game Cher for a lot of families in Pennsylvania and it's a it's a policy that is very popular and I think that's why we continue to hear the vice president talking about it um you know I I I think the question is how some of those more specific plans um help convince voters who are really focused on the price of their groceries and um their rent going up um and making that connection to kind of the the longer term plan to to drive down some of these economic concerns so can we ask you for predictions you know the state is so close right now Pennsylvania is the must-win state for both candidates um I was a little thrown by KLA Harris's decision not to choose the sitting Governor Josh air who is very popular and has a you know proven winning record not even talking about the issues or policies but just someone who has a track record of winning in this very closely divided must win state you know even if that was worth a small increase in the votes she might get in Pennsylvania that would seem to me like it was it it would be worth it um so where do we stand right now with the election I don't know 60 days away yeah um I I think we we stand in a dead heat and it's looking it's looking very neck and neck in Pennsylvania um in the the polls that we've seen the state is just one that because of um its geography its demographics it it tends to um be a closed State and I think we're gonna continue to see that you know we'll see if this debate moves the needle at all most people I'm talking to even if they have a clear perspective on uh who did better they're not sure that you know it's really gonna gonna change too much in the polls we'll see um so bearing um any sort of surprises in the next two months I I think it it'll remain close and it really could come down to you know can can Harris Define herself for these voters who are flirting with you know voting for her um can she turn out her base and and for Trump you know can he hold on to the number numers he's grown in different parts of Pennsylvania and maybe um win back some of the voters who flipped from him to to BU in last year Julie I'm curious how pennsylvanians have been receiving JD Vance and Tim Walls the VP picks of either presidential candidate of course Josh Shapiro was in the running what do you make of their reception in the state you know I think the the the vep stakes were were big for us in Pennsylvania because the governor was on that short list um but but what I've learned in the week since is is that I really do think voters are focused on the top of the ticket um you know bans and walls have made several visits to the state and I think they will continue to um and I think both campaigns are actually looking for a similar thing from from both of the the governor and the senator um you know appealing in these more rustbelt or even rural parts of Pennsylvania where um President Biden did better than um Hillary Clinton had done in 2016 and where Democrats are hoping to pull more votes out but at the same time those are a lot of places where former president Trump also uh pulled more votes out than he had in in his first um presidential run so I I think they're they're looking for and getting similar things from both candidates you know uh Governor uh walls was um I think um uh nursing a young cow in Lancaster um and uh JD Vance has been um talking about his upbringing so they're hoping that that that'll boost some appeal in these areas that aren't traditionally um you know for Democrats aren't traditionally Democratic strongholds and that for Republicans they're hoping will continue to pull out more Democrat more Republican votes Julia thank you so much for joining us we appreciate it [Music]