Kamala Harris: Balancing Loyalty and Change in Her Bid for the Presidency

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Kamala Harris often tries to distance herself from President Joe Biden with a simple statement: "I am not Joe Biden." Yet, when it comes to explaining how she would be different if she were to assume the presidency, Harris has been careful not to delve into specifics. This approach reflects her complex position as both a candidate seeking change and a vice president loyal to the administration she serves. 

 

For over three years, Harris has prioritized loyalty to Biden, even when it may have affected her own political standing. Now, as she runs for president with the slogan "A New Way Forward," she treads cautiously, avoiding direct criticism of the president or the administration. According to her allies, this strategy is a balancing act—she seeks to maintain her loyalty while appealing to voters eager for change. Still, she has backed a few economic and border policy proposals that her team crafted with the intention of setting her apart from Biden.

 

 

In a recent appearance on ABC’s "The View," Harris was asked if she would have done anything differently than Biden during their time in office. Her initial response was, "There is not a thing that comes to mind." However, by the end of the interview, she did mention that she would appoint a Republican to her cabinet if elected president. Later, on CBS’s "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," when asked a similar question, Harris focused more on distinguishing herself from former President Donald Trump, stating, "It’s important to say with 28 days to go, I’m not Donald Trump."

 

Trump, seizing on her earlier comments, played a clip of Harris at a rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania, mocking the vice president and criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of issues such as the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the southern border, and inflation. "Can you believe our country is being run by these people?" Trump asked, questioning Harris's suitability for leadership.

 

 

Despite the Republican efforts to lump Harris together with Biden, she has managed to maintain a slight edge over Trump in recent polls. According to a New York Times/Siena College survey, Harris led Trump by a narrow margin of 46% to 44% when voters were asked which candidate represented change. She continues to perform slightly better than Biden in most national polls and remains competitive in key swing states.

 

However, some Democrats were surprised by Harris's reluctance to clearly differentiate herself from Biden during her media blitz this week. Evan Roth Smith, a Democratic pollster, expressed concern, stating, "They were a missed opportunity to do something voters will reward." Smith's polling found that voters responded best to messages that emphasized a break from Biden on key issues, while portraying Harris as a continuation of Biden’s policies was less successful. "She doesn’t need to stab the president in the back," he said, "just pick a specific issue that is of high importance to voters and draw a really clear distinction."

 

Harris's campaign has introduced incremental policy changes to position her as more business-friendly and tougher on immigration than Biden. For example, she proposed a less aggressive increase in the capital gains tax compared to Biden’s plan. Additionally, during a visit to the border, she suggested that she would take a firmer stance than Biden on maintaining restrictions that prevent migrants who cross illegally from applying for asylum. Despite these shifts, when directly asked about Biden, Harris has avoided emphasizing these differences, instead opting to speak broadly about her vision for economic leadership and the next generation of political leadership.

 

While Harris's background as the daughter of immigrants and her potential to become the first female president offer a natural contrast to Biden, some Democrats believe she could afford to create more space between herself and the current administration. On foreign policy, particularly regarding the intensifying conflict in the Middle East, Harris has been hesitant to criticize Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even though this might resonate with certain Democratic voters. Abbas Alawieh, a co-founder of the Uncommitted movement, remarked, "I’ve been surprised by just how allergic to even inching in the direction of antiwar voters Vice President Harris has been."

 

Alawieh believes that a stronger stance against Netanyahu could actually mobilize Democratic voters, without costing Harris any significant support. "I don’t know that being more critical of Netanyahu would cost a single Democratic vote," he said. "It might gain us some votes. I think that would mobilize a lot of Democratic voters, actually."

As Harris navigates her campaign, she continues to balance the need for change with her deep ties to the current administration. How she manages this balancing act will likely define her candidacy in the months ahead.

 

Based on a report from WSJ 2024-10-11

 

 

 

[mdr224]

You go girl! Shes totally qualified for the job as evidenced by her humble upbringing and past experience working at mcdonalds

[Tug]

13 minutes ago, mdr224 said:

You go girl! Shes totally qualified for the job as evidenced by her humble upbringing and past experience working at mcdonalds

Obviously you are forgetting her passing the bar her stint as a DA her stint as the AG for the state of California her stint as a United States senator and her stint as vice president……. Whereas Donald trump’s qualifications as a New York trustfund baby who has never suffered consequences of his actions…….She and Joe Biden share many of the same ideals they may differ as to how to achieve them.they are certainly more qualified and principled than the felon.

Edited 2 hours ago by Tug

[Cryingdick]

She said very clearly she wouldn't dol a single thing differently. She said she was directly involved in every major decision Biden made. She is not an agent of change she is the status quo.

Edited 1 hour ago by Cryingdick

[neeray]

She's a common sense, experienced negotiator who will tackle a situation armed with input from her qualified staff. On the other hand, Trump is a one-man-band who shoots from the hip and frequently misses, threatens, divides and bullies. The choice is a no-brainer.

[malibukid]

double speak

[thesetat2013]

30 minutes ago, neeray said:

She's a common sense, experienced negotiator who will tackle a situation armed with input from her qualified staff. On the other hand, Trump is a one-man-band who shoots from the hip and frequently misses, threatens, divides and bullies. The choice is a no-brainer.

No she is not. She feigns any sense at all when it comes to politics and falters at every point. Then she turns around and contradicts herself or changes her opinion on the drop of a dime. She has exactly no experience as a negotiator. She was a prosecutor for crying out loud. They do not negotiate except to concede to an agreement for lesser charges or time in a conviction. That is not negotiating. She has proven she has no skills when talking and dealing with other world leaders. She is flaky and uses her giggling to hide her incompetence. She has no strength how she stands within any topic which means she will be unable to deter or show other countries we are strong as well. 

Where you get all these ideas of her, leaves me clueless. Are all Democrats blind? Or just blinded by their hate for Trump? Voting for a 3rd party would be a better solution if you hate Trump so much. But at least open your eyes about Harris. She will destroy the country even more than Biden did and put us into a huge war. 

[thesetat2013]

38 minutes ago, neeray said:

She's a common sense, experienced negotiator who will tackle a situation armed with input from her qualified staff. On the other hand, Trump is a one-man-band who shoots from the hip and frequently misses, threatens, divides and bullies. The choice is a no-brainer.

As for her position in the Senate? This vdo may interest you.