Donald Trump finally met his opponent in the debates. Kamala Harris not only outshone and defeated Trump, she also provoked him like crazy.

This was arguably the best presidential debate performance since Ronald Reagan's 1980 attack on President Carter, in which he famously said, “Here we go again,” and “Ask yourself: Are you doing better than you did four years ago?”

There's a common myth that debates don't have much of an impact on the final outcome of an election. But that's nonsense. There are many ways in which debates do. And the Harris vs. Trump debate could be one of them.

Harris came across as a tough fighter who could handle the rigors of the Oval Office with a bit of wit. The moderate swing voters in the battleground states may have had some faith in her, as they were impressed by her strength. She also did not come across as a San Francisco liberal.

So the debate may have signaled to impressionable voters that Harris is fit to be president and that the yelling, scowling Trump is not.

But it's unlikely that Trump will ever lose his most ardent supporters, no matter how outrageous his actions may be. And that's something that has always fascinated me.

See, he represents everything our mothers taught us not to be: a bully, a braggart, a whiner, a liar, a name-caller. He displayed most of these ugly traits during the debates. And he's a convicted felon.

Despite Trump's character flaws, his core supporters are unwaveringly loyal, making this a very close race.

In deep blue California, Trump won 6 million votes in 2020 — won more votes than any other state, but lost the state by nearly two to one.

He will lose again in California on November 5th, but he does not appear to have lost any supporters despite his shameless actions.

A poll of likely voters conducted last month by the University of California, Berkeley's Institute of Governmental Studies showed Ms. Harris leading Mr. Trump, 59% to 34%, in the presidential race. Ms. Harris had not lost support since February, but she was ahead of President Biden by 7 percentage points.

So who are these ardent Trump supporters, and what are their motivations? How can they support such an obnoxious character? I made some calls.

“Character is a fading issue in politics, and it doesn't matter to a lot of people,” said Rob Stutzman, a Republican strategist and non-Trump supporter. “I think the Bill Clinton era has a lot to do with this.”

Both Clinton and Trump cheated on their wives — Clinton even had an affair next to her in the Oval Office — but Clinton was never rude like Trump, or called her opponents “creepy” and “stupid.”

“Politics is a team sport,” Stutzman added. “Whether they like Trump or not, he's part of their team.”

The reality is that many Republican voters just hate Democratic politicians.

“Republicans hate the left, and Trump represents someone who fights back against the left,” Stutzman said.

I asked Republican strategist Matt Rexrode about the animus.

“That's 100 percent true,” he said. “Anyone can be on the 'R' ballot, [Republicans] I would vote for them.”

“Trump is a protest vote against the status quo,” Rexrode continued.

This is especially true for rural residents, who tend to vote Republican.

“They feel disenfranchised,” Rexroad said, “and people in big cities don't listen to them. A lot of people in San Francisco wouldn't find Modoc County on a map if it cost them their life. They know Placer County because they pass through it on the way to Tahoe.”

“The people between Bakersfield and Fresno don't like what's going on in Sacramento and Washington. They feel left out.”

Ken Khachigian, a former Republican strategist who grew up on a walnut and grape farm in Visalia, said Trump speaks to the proverbial “forgotten man.”

Farmers in the San Joaquin Valley are especially frustrated that they got only half the water they requested from federal and state governments after record snowfall in the Sierra Nevada, Kachigian said.

And valley residents, he added, are “unhappy with a lot of the help given to illegal immigrants — free health care and other free services.”

“They're calling him Trump,” he said of Trump. [speak up] He is seen with strength and vigor and intensity about what is going on.”

I called Mark Baldassare, chief pollster for the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. He has taken a closer look at some of PPIC's polls in recent months.

“Negative [of Trump voters] “That's what struck me,” he said. “It's all pessimistic. This group is especially unhappy with the state of their country, their state and their own lives.”

Nearly 98% believe California and the U.S. are heading in the “wrong direction.” About 92% believe the state and country will have a “bad time” economically over the next 12 months. And 64% say their family's financial situation is worse than it was a year ago.

Additionally, 87% believe immigrants are a “burden” on California.

On many issues, Trump supporters hold diametrically opposed views to Democrats.

For example: 60% say addressing climate change is “not a major concern,” 63% support expanding oil drilling off the coast of California, 92% would rather see lower taxes and cut services than higher taxes and increased services, 89% support protecting gun rights over restricting gun ownership, and 71% approve of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision that overturned the nation's right to abortion.

“A significant number of people feel that government is the problem, not the solution,” Baldassarre said. “They feel ignored. One way to get attention is to say, 'I support Trump. Listen to me.'”

Hopefully, we will all get to hear the second Harris vs. Trump debate. With the race so close, each candidate needs it, and so do the voters.