While no debate is a completely controlled environment, Harris nevertheless will go into her Philadelphia showdown with former President Donald Trump with a plan of attack.

How Harris presents herself, speaks of Trump, handles the Biden administration’s record as well as her own, and talks about her plans for the future will be planned carefully.

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The latest New York Times-Siena College poll found that 28% want to learn more about Harris, while only 9% felt they needed new information about Trump, who has been in national politics for nine years and already served one term as president. To some of these voters, Harris will be introducing herself outside of Biden’s shadow for the first time.

Prosecutor vs. ‘Momala’

Harris first rose to prominence as a prosecutor in California. She has leveraged this experience in her subsequent political forays, grilling Trump administration officials at Senate hearings as a freshman senator. 

But after anti-crime messaging fell out of favor with the more progressive part of the Democratic primary electorate ahead of the 2020 primaries and her prosecutorial record became an inviting target for primary opponents, she pivoted. The climate became even more hostile to Harris’s past branding when she was tapped for the vice presidential spot amid the upheaval over George Floyd. Harris also clearly worried about likability becoming a problem.

Harris attempted to soften her image. Her speeches became filled with light catchphrases. As vice president, she spoke more about issues and events instead of interrogating people at committee hearings. She became known more for laughter than tongue-lashings.

The image shift did not immediately work. Her poll numbers were lower than Biden’s for most of their term. Her musings about space and appearances with paid child actors were ridiculed. The softness did not translate into a tranquil office environment for her staff, among whom turnover was high.

Harris has nevertheless tried to maintain a version of this persona in her joy-themed campaign. But she has also returned to her prosecutor roots as she has sought to run on parts of her record that are independent of the unpopular Biden administration.

Some have advised her to be more of a prosecutor during the debate with Trump. “If [Trump’s] friend was promoting the bout, Don King, it would be the prosecutor vs. the felon,” the Rev. Al Sharpton said of a Trump-Harris debate on Morning Joe. “That’s how you’d promote it.”

Pat Buchanan joked during the 1996 presidential campaign that if he were elected, he would turn toward outgoing President Bill Clinton during the inauguration and say, “You have the right to remain silent.”

It remains to be seen whether Harris will go the “Lock him up!” route or simply laugh off Trump.

Unburdened by what has been her platform

Harris ran unsuccessfully for the 2020 Democratic nomination by positioning herself to Biden’s left. She did not make it to when the first votes were cast.

Since taking over for Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket, Harris has tried to move back to the center. She has celebrated the endorsement of former Vice President Dick Cheney, a Republican who was once as controversial in liberal circles as Trump. She abandoned many of her most controversial 2019 policy positions, though often through spokespeople rather than in her own voice.

Trump is likely to bring up all this history, tying her to her more progressive iteration as well as Biden’s policies. How liberal Harris chooses to be as Trump himself tries to move to the center will be one of the keys to the debate.

Joe who?

Harris was a top Biden defender through four years together on the Democratic ticket and in office. There is plenty of footage of her lauding Bidenomics and speaking favorably of the incumbent’s presidency. Even after the switch, she has rarely criticized and sometimes appeared at campaign events with Biden.

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Nevertheless, Harris also wants to be seen as her own person. Her chances hinge on whether she can be seen as a change candidate rather than more of the same despite being the sitting vice president. Harris will also face questions about what she knew about Biden’s health after years of assuring the public the now-81-year-old president was fit to keep serving until he turns 86.

Harris is going to need to create some distance between herself and Biden while Trump tries to yoke them together.