Careful of What You Ask For: Harris Wants Debate No. 2

(Editor's Note: The following opinion column does not constitute an endorsement of any political party, or candidate, on the part of Newsmax.)

If Vice President Kamala Harris Wants Another Debate, Let’s Give Her One

Vice President Kamala Harris gave a better-than-expected performance at Tuesday night’s ABC presidential debate, and details are now emerging that may help explain her success.

First of all there may have been a conflict of interest between Harris and one of the ABC News debate moderators, Linsey Davis — they’re college sorority sisters at Aloha Kappa Alpha, Inc.

"And no one in the Republican Party leadership thought that might be an issue?" Newsmax Prime News host Todd Starnes asked.

It prompted at least another person to ask, "So, who slipped Kamala’s team the questions?"

Whether that question was serious or meant as a joke, an independent journalist promised yesterday that before the weekend is over, he’ll come into possession of and release an affidavit from a lawyer who represents an ABC News whistleblower.

He alleges that the whistleblower will affirm, among other things, that ABC News gave "sample questions" to the Harris campaign prior to the debate, and those questions were ultimately asked Tuesday night.

He claims the affidavit will also state that ABC promised not to fact check Harris, but would do so against Trump.

The Federalist reported that Harris told at least 25 lies during the debate, and she wasn’t corrected on any of them, which offers some support for the journalist’s claim.

Also, if true it wouldn’t be the first time this has happened.

In 2016 former Democratic National Committee interim chair Donna Brazile came under fire for leaking CNN presidential debate questions to Hillary Clinton.

Whether yesterday’s claims are accurate or not, it was enough to catch the attention of former Fox News writer and associate producer Kyle Becker.

"We knew it!" he said, followed by, "Let’s see the receipts. But absolutely NO ONE will be surprised by this."

Almost immediately after Tuesday’s debate the Harris team announced that they wanted to build on her perceived success by having a second one.

"Under the bright lights, the American people got to see the choice they will face this fall at the ballot box: between moving forward with Kamala Harris, or going backwards with Trump," Harris campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a statement on Tuesday night.

"That's what they saw tonight and what they should see at a second debate in October. Vice President Harris is ready for a second debate. Is Donald Trump?”

But yesterday Trump put any ideas of a second debate to rest (a third, if you count the Trump-Biden debate). He claimed that he won Tuesday’s debate, and Harris was simply looking for a rematch, much like a losing fighter at a boxing match.

Trump added that "She was a no-show at the Fox Debate, and refused to do NBC & CBS."

It’s true that Harris backed out of the Sept. 4 Fox News debate, which turned into a Trump town hall. And she initially showed no interest in the Sept. 25 debate on NBC.

CBS News, meanwhile, will host a vice presidential debate on Oct. 1 between Gov. Tim Walz, D-Minn. and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio.

But . . . there may be a way out of this impasse.

Let’s give Harris her debate.

But at the same time, let’s give the new kids on the block a chance.

Let’s schedule the first-ever Newsmax Presidential Debate in recognition of their rising star status, and hold it on Sept. 25 — the date that was set for the NBC debate.

Same rules as before: The participants stand throughout the 90-minute event, no audience, no notes, no open mics when the other debater is speaking.

And Newsmax has the perfect moderators, "The Record" anchor Greta Van Susteren, and Newsmax White House Correspondent James Rosen.

They each have the qualities necessary to be good presidential debate moderators: They’re intelligent, quick, fair, and tough without being obnoxious. And any debate they moderate will not be a "three-against-one" struggle aimed at either candidate.

And finally, neither Van Susteren nor Rosen is Kamala Harris’ sorority sister.

(A related article may be found here.)

Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He is also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and an enthusiastic Second Amendment supporter. Read Michael Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.