The economy and abortion drew some of the strongest responses from Chicago-area voters who gathered Tuesday night to watch the first debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump during the presidential campaign.
The economy was the first question during the debate, and was a major issue for both Democrats and Republicans.
Asked to hear more about Harris's view on the economy before the debate, Annika Chase, a 40-something who lives on the North Side, said she was pleased with how Harris handled the question.
Annika and Earl Chase attend a viewing party on Tuesday at Williams Inn Pizza & Sports Bar.
Tyler Basiak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
“Her answers were good, she continued to lay out the policies she wanted to do, and I agree with her plan for small business and building more homes,” said Chase, who attended a watch party hosted by Ida’s Legacy, a progressive political organization, at Williams Inn Pizza & Sports Bar, 2210 S. Michigan Ave.
Niles resident Lauren Kiki attended a viewing party at El Fuego in Skokie hosted by the Niles Township Republican Party with two friends. A proud Republican and Trump supporter, she said her main issue was inflation, which she believes the current economy is “horrible.”
Lauren Kiki attends the debate watch party at El Fuego Mexican Cuisine in Skokie on Tuesday.
Talia Sprague/Sun-Times
Americans tend to trust Trump more than Harris when it comes to handling the economy, according to an Associated Press-NORC poll conducted in August.
Views of the economy are not particularly rosy. According to a recent Gallup poll, about 6 in 10 U.S. adults say economic conditions in the country are “getting worse.” Less than half of Americans (45%) rate the U.S. economy as “poor,” while 31% describe it as “fair.” About a quarter describe it as excellent or good.
By one measure, Americans are neither better off nor worse off than they were four years ago. Earlier Tuesday, the Census Bureau released an annual report showing that the median U.S. household income, adjusted for inflation, rose in 2023 for the first time since 2019 to $80,610 — roughly the same level as it was four years ago, in 2019.
The abortion issue has sparked some strong reactions at watch parties.
Trump's comments about “nine-month abortion” drew loud boos from the crowd at Williams Inn Pizza & Sports Bar and cheers when a moderator fact-checked his statements.
At a watch party at El Fuego in Skokie, attendees were left in disbelief after Harris said, “Nowhere in America does a woman carry to term and ask for an abortion,” with claims that she was lying or “full of bullshit” audible.
Recent polls suggest that abortion is a strong issue for Harris.
About half of Americans (51%) say they trust Harris to do a better job handling abortion policy than Trump (27%), according to an August AP-NORC poll.
This is also an issue where Republicans give Trump relatively low marks, suggesting some potential resentment from his party. Only about 6 in 10 Republicans trust Trump more than Harris on these issues. About 15 percent trust Harris more, and about 1 in 10 trust both candidates about the same. The debate was an opportunity for voters to learn more about Harris.
During the break, Mark Albers, a Republican committeeman from Niles who is running for Illinois' 15th District representative, said he hoped the candidates would use the rest of the time to discuss the issues in more detail.
“It was interesting, with the candidates exchanging barbs, which is what I expected from them. I would like to see more real issues addressed,” he said.
Some of these issues include national security, safety, and the fentanyl crisis. He wanted them to go into more depth on immigration issues and spend more time discussing these issues.
Chandler and I attended a viewing party at Williams Inn Pizza & Sports Bar.
Tyler Basiak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
“I said that doesn’t mean my vote will go to Trump,” said Sadika Chandler, 51, a longtime Republican who lives in Beverly.
She said before the debate began that she had not made up her mind yet, and expressed hope to learn more about Harris' positions on borders, foreign policy and the economy because she felt she knew what Trump would offer.
Harris is more of a mystery to Chandler.
“I really hope to hear what Kamala has to say about her policies,” Chandler said before the debate began. “I don't know anything about them at all, and the details are good, but now we're getting to the heart of the matter.”
By the end of the debate, Chandler thought Trump had “totally lost” because his answers were “all over the place” but still wanted to know more about Harris.
“She can’t talk to the point where you’re confused or you lose your mind and you blow the country to pieces,” he said, referring to Harris’ attacks on Trump.
She is still not ready to side with any candidate.
Chandler said she did not get specific enough answers on the main issues she faced: fracking, the war between Israel and Hamas, international relations and borders.
She hoped she could learn more in the second debate — if there was one.
“Maybe in the second debate we'll hear more about what exactly she's going to do and how she's going to do it,” she said.
Former Rep. Elijah Jeffries, a 26th-district representative who attended the viewing party at Williams Inn and wore a T-shirt with the vice president's picture and the words “We Won't Go Back,” thought Harris won the debate easily.
“It was a technical knockout from the beginning, actually before it started,” said Jeffries, 78. “(Trump) didn't answer any of the questions that were asked and was very boring.”
She said she was hoping to hear Harris' plan for youth and seniors, “and I got that from her.”
Elijah Jeffries, who was wearing a T-shirt with the vice president's picture and the words “We're Not Going Back,” thought Vice President Kamala Harris won the debate handily.
Tyler Basiak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Contribution: AP
