Kamala Harris, the vice president is placing herself for 2024 election by talking about her policy vulnerabilities in the past and pinning down her vision of governance. After President Joe Biden decided not to seek re-election, Harris has led the Democratic ticket and she has cautiously introduced her policy platform so far showing how she stands out from others such as Donald Trump.
However, following the president’s footsteps have always been a tradition for Vice Presidents but this is an opportunity for Harris to establish what she wants to do. The switch from being Biden’s second-in-command to leading the ticket mandated a swift rethink on positions.
Subsequently, in late July when she took over Biden’s political machine, ‘Kamala Harris’ campaign website was updated but removed “issues” page that featured six-points summarizing for Americans where Biden-Harris administration stood against Trump. Her public speeches have primarily involved personal stories and broad aspirations like “building up the middle class” while avoiding specific details on controversial topics such as federal abortion laws and assault-style weapon bans.
Harris pledges more information regarding her policy platform will be available soon with prioritization on economy and cost-cutting measures. One striking example is ending federal taxation of tipped income among lower- and middle-class earners, which bears similarities with Trump’s proposal during his 2024 campaign. While Trump has criticized Harris for stealing his idea, the White House supported it
Some progressive positions she espoused during her presidential run in 2020 were disowned by Harris who acknowledged that this could be problematic if not resolved. The presence of both personalities raises questions concerning their relationship especially considering that Biden had endorsed her after handing over his campaign machine.
Biden found himself in a similar situation during his campaign as he offered more elaborate policies towards its close. Many of these proposals have been embraced by Harris which include restoring abortion rights and increasing minimum wage federally although they would need support from Congress.
With regard to this, Harris’s campaign has positioned itself as being responsive to changes in her policy and pragmatic approach that she uses to build consensus as a basis for bi-partisan success stories by the Biden-Harris administration. Trump’s campaign has escalated attacks on Harris portraying her as a radical liberal who changes her mind about key issues.
Harris’ policy vision and strategic positioning will be examined further and compared with other candidates particularly Trump during the campaign period.
