This is Brian Lair's Daily Politics Podcast from WNYC Studios.

It's Monday, September 9th.

I'm Matt Katz from the WNYC in Gothamist Newsroom, filling in for Brian today.

Let's get inside the prep rooms of our presidential candidates as they gear up for the

make or break debate tomorrow night.

Former President Donald Trump and current Vice President Kamala Harris will meet for the very

first time and perhaps the only time on a debate stage.

It'll be in Philadelphia.

It comes less than a week before early voting is set to begin in Pennsylvania, which is being dubbed the swingiest of swing

states. According to both campaigns, the candidates see this debate as a crucial moment to define

Harris right before voters start to hit the polls. After all, she'd just join the race to

become the next president about seven weeks ago. Despite her role as vice president over the last

four years, many undecided voters say they still see Harris as someone who's famous, but unknown.

And let's not forget how she became the Democratic nominee so late in the game. Here's

Donald Trump recalling the event, although rather crudely, at a campaign in Moceney, Wisconsin on

Saturday. We're run by stupid people, stupid, stupid people. And we found that out at the debate with Joe.

How did that work out?

And we're going to find it out again on Tuesday night.

Unlike the last matchup between Trump and Biden,

tomorrow night's debate will center around policy, apparently.

According to the Trump aides who spoke with the New York Times,

his preparation sessions aren't even referred to as debate prep, but rather policy time.

...