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Paul Krugman

By Paul Krugman

Opinion Columnist

Kamala Harris exceeded my expectations in her debate with Donald Trump on Tuesday. I knew that she was smart, but for whatever reason, many insiders have questioned her political talent. I assume that her remarkable skill at baiting Trump into one trap after another has ended those questions.

Trump, by contrast, was who he has always been. He essentially sounded the same as he does at his rallies — except that this time TV viewers experienced his ranting raw, not sanewashed by summaries that make him sound more coherent than he is.

True, I thought even Trump would have enough sense to steer clear of the Haitians-eating-pets stuff and wouldn’t get into a fight over who has bigger rallies. On the other hand, many people get worse as they grow older because they become more like themselves. And the bizarro exchanges on these subjects will probably define the debate in many voters’ eyes.

For policy wonks like me, however, the most remarkable moment in the debate probably came when Trump was asked whether he had a plan for health care reform, and his answer was: “I have concepts of a plan.”

Bear in mind that health care coverage is a crucial (in some cases life-or-death) issue for many Americans. Furthermore, health care — unlike, say, grocery or gas prices — is an issue on which public policy can make a big difference. In particular, the coming of the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare, led to a large decline in........

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