This article was originally published on Washington Times - Politics. You can read the original article HERE
CHICAGO — Vice President Kamala Harris has campaigned as a largely Ill-defined presidential candidate, allowing her to flip-flop on important issues and avoid taking tough positions that could alienate critical battleground state voters.
At the Democratic National Convention, organizers said the Harris agenda was a work in progress, even though the election is just 11 weeks away.
Her campaign website provides only biographical information. She has not held a single press conference. Even the Democratic Party platform convention delegates approved on Monday was drafted before she became the nominee. It repeatedly references “President Biden’s second term.”
Ms. Harris, 59, won the nomination two weeks after Mr. Biden was forced out of the race on July 21.
The sudden switch invigorated and consolidated the Democratic base around Ms. Harris and won over some independents.
Ms. Harris is now tied with or leading Republican nominee Donald Trump in many battleground state polls. Democratic strategists say she can boost her chances of winning in November by remaining amorphous during her brief time as a presidential candidate.
“More specifics, more ammo for opposition attack ads,” Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf said. “Using feel-good ideas with less specifics makes successful attacks less likely. Great sound bites and smiles in a shortened campaign can win.”
Democratic convention officials on Tuesday acknowledged the lack of specific information about how Ms. Harris would lead as president. They said, “She’ll continue to build out her own vision here over the course of the next 80 days.”
Even without an extensive agenda, they said, “The American people understand the very stark choice that is in front of them” between Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump.
Since entering the presidential race, Ms. Harris has reversed her positions on several key issues, although she has avoided discussing specifics.
On Friday, the Harris-Walz campaign released their most detailed plans yet: a sweeping agenda “to lower costs for American families” that pitched the nation’s first-ever ban on “price gouging on food and groceries.”
The plan to force down grocery prices drew immediate backlash, as did other parts of the document, which outlines plans to build affordable housing, provide tax credits and tax incentives, reduce the prices of some prescription drugs, and lower rent by blocking “Wall Street investors and distant landlords” from buying homes in bulk. The plan would also provide up to $25,000 for some first-time homebuyers, even if they are not American citizens.
Ms. Harris also pledged to “work with states to cancel medical debt for millions of Americans” but did not explain how it would all be funded.
On other policy fronts, Ms. Harris continues to shift.
The approach has allowed her to vaguely redefine herself with just enough detail to hold on to swing-state voters without alienating her base.
During her 2019 presidential campaign, Ms. Harris backed the liberal Green New Deal to end fossil fuels. She also pledged to ban fracking, a multibillion-dollar industry that extracts oil and gas from underground rocks, on federal lands.
Since becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, she has said nothing about fracking or ending fossil fuels, and her campaign has not provided details about her energy policy.
She has limited her statements to attacks on Mr. Trump. She has said repeatedly that he “intends to surrender our fight against the climate crisis.”
Her campaign staff, laser-focused on battleground states such as Pennsylvania, where fracking is a significant part of the state’s economy, has insisted she would not ban fracking despite her past promises.
Ms. Harris has subtly flipped on issues crucial to swing-state voters, including police funding. Although she supported redirecting police funding and praised “defund the police” efforts in the past, she is running as a tough-on-crime candidate, promoting her years as a top prosecutor in California.
After questioning the role of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and pledging to close immigration detention centers, Ms. Harris is suddenly promising to hire thousands more Border Patrol agents and to crack down on human trafficking and drug smuggling.
“Fixing the border is tough. So is Kamala Harris,” a new campaign ad proclaims.
Delegates celebrating Ms. Harris’ nomination on Tuesday said that even though she lacked a fully developed agenda, they trusted that she would carry out the policies of the Biden administration, where she has served for 3½ years.
“It’s so new,” South Carolina delegate Lynne Lotz said. “That’s the biggest problem. A lot of people feel we didn’t know her that well.”
Ms. Lotz said people are getting to know Ms. Harris now that she is actively campaigning, and many are excited about her selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.
Delegates aren’t questioning where Ms. Harris will take the nation if she wins in November.
“The biggest thing going here now is the enthusiasm,” Ms. Lotz said.
This article was originally published by Washington Times - Politics. We only curate news from sources that align with the core values of our intended conservative audience. If you like the news you read here we encourage you to utilize the original sources for even more great news and opinions you can trust!
Comments