The polling is in and Harris won the debate. But Democrats shouldn’t get cocky | John Zogby

A total of 67 million Americans watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump on Tuesday, and the first polls taken after the event all show the vice-president gaining a little ground over the former president.

Harris's lead ranges from three to five points, depending on the poll, but we need to be careful about drawing any exaggerated conclusions. One poll by Reuters has Harris leading by five points, but she had been leading by four in their previous poll published on 21 August. Another by Morning Consult also revealed similar results, but her lead had been three points the day before the debate and four the day of the debate.

All polls agree that Harris won by a large margin and that favorable ratings rose by as many as nine points. She is seen as better for protecting democracy by nine points and on abortion by 21 points.

But the new polls also make clear that Trump's numbers really did not change much. According to interviews conducted by CNN before and after the debate, he is still given higher marks for handling the economy and immigration, the two top issues in the campaign.

A CNN flash poll found that debate viewers felt, by a margin of 63% to 37%, that Harris turned in a better performance onstage in Philadelphia - with 96% of her supporters saying that she had done a better job, while a smaller 69% majority of Trump's supporters credited Trump with having a better night.

Similarly, in the eyes of most pundits, Harris came across as confident and did not lose her cool. She framed her performance around the idea that she represents a new generation that will not dwell on the past. She also laid out her plan for an "Opportunity Economy" with tax credits for small businesses and expansions of affordable housing and the Affordable Care Act, among other things.

She did a good job of contrasting her positive approach with Trump's negativity. She linked him with tax cuts for billionaires, raised tariffs on China that were tantamount to a "20% sales tax" on consumers, an expansion of the powers of an unchecked presidency and the massive defunding of federal agencies and bureaucrats in the conservative Heritage Foundation's Project 2025.