I just finished watching the US presidential debate. Unfortunately, I didn't learn anything new. Apart from the familiar slogans from previous speeches by both candidates, the debate lacked any specific program details.
Debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, September 10, 2024 (Source: ABC News/YouTube, Fair Use)
Kamala Harris was perfectly prepared and one could get the impression that she was the more aggressive one, looking with a cynical smile at Trump when he spoke. Trump, on the other hand, seemed subdued, someone simply lacking the will to fight.
The team that prepared Trump for this debate probably overdid it by restraining Trump, who never once smiled or looked directly at the camera. He was rather cold and a bit disorganized, unable to ask the most important questions, like: Where have you been for 3 1/2 years, when the southern border is facing the worst crisis in US history?
Harris tried to construct a somewhat chaotic narrative of leaving the past behind and focusing on the future.
Trump, in my opinion, failed to construct any logical narrative. The information bit about illegal immigrants eating dogs was a mistake. The focus could have been on numbers and other facts, which were conspicuously absent from Trump's speech. If there is another debate, Trump's media team should be staffed with other people.
The debate also featured a Polish theme. The topic of Russia's war with Ukraine was raised, and Harris tried to draw attention to Putin's potential turn to Poland after Ukraine's eventual defeat. She then recalled the approximately 800,000 American Poles living in Pennsylvania.
It is worth remembering that the "rust belt", where the largest number of "swing states" are located - states that will tip the scales in the most important presidential elections in the world - is home to the largest number out of the 10 million Polish Americans, or 3% of the population of the United States, and they are the ones who can decide the outcome of these elections.
One in nine people in Wisconsin is of Polish descent. In Michigan, there are 784,200 people who identify as Polish Americans, or 7.82% of the population, and so on.
In November, the most important elections on the planet will be held in the United States, which could change the history of the world. However, as Poland, we have no influence over this, despite the fact that we have a 10 million diaspora in the US, which could have a real impact on American policy. Officials in the State Department and other diasporas closely cooperating with it know this very well. The staff of Democrats and Republicans knows this. However, on the Vistula river, we are in a position of attention. Waiting for new orders from Washington.
No one is working with Polonia in this area, and the indicated directions of action are the rustic image of Polonia, polka and pierogi. What is happening to large Polonia organizations? They are discreetly extinguished or waiting for mythical guidelines from Warsaw, which never come. The most important thing, however, is that American Poles will go to the elections and vote according to their own conscience.
