Dan Schnur

A successful campaign needs to do two things to win an election: first, motivate the party base, and then, persuade undecided voters. Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are very good at the first part of that equation, but as the presidential campaign moves into the home stretch, both candidates are scrambling to figure out how to accomplish the second.

The tragedy may have even re-engaged the interest of the American public.

Just as Ronald Reagan was challenging an incumbent president about whom the American people had long since made up their mind, Harris is today running against a former president about whom no voter lacks extremely strong and unalterable opinions. Trump's unfavorable ratings are based primarily on his personal conduct, while Jimmy Carter's unpopularity was tied to his job performance. But neither of their campaigns ever held any illusions that they could persuade the electorate to reconsider their assessment of their candidate.

Now that the presidential debate is behind us and we turn toward the final weeks of this unprecedented campaign, it's worth taking a moment to assess where the two candidates stand with Jewish voters and the potential impact of the Israel-Hamas war on the election.

Brian Snuder/Reuters From the Center It's very difficult to win a presidential debate. It's much easier to lose one.

Although the candidates didn't spend much time on Israel, their short back-and-forth may have revealed how the two campaigns are thinking about their fight for the support of Jewish Americans.

Prachatai/Gage Skidmore/Flickr From the Center Ask Kamala Harris about abortion, and she will answer in clear and unmistakable

Israel is now engaged in a major military conflict in Lebanon for the first time since 2006.

Gage Skidmore/ Flickr From the Center Kamala Harris was spoiling for a second debate with Donald Trump even before the first one ended.

As we mark the one-year anniversary of the Simchat Torah Massacre, the future is even more uncertain than it was last Oct. 8.