Staff Reports
Kamala Harris is now in full campaign mode as she tries to carve out a separate identity from President Joe Biden, all while shamelessly taking credit for his administration’s achievements. It’s like watching a magician trying to pull off a trick while also being the assistant in the rabbit-in-the-hat act. As her 2024 presidential run gains momentum, Harris is stuck between a rock and a hard place: she wants to establish herself as the leader of the pack, but without a doubt, critical achievements of the past must still be rebranded as her own.
Harris is leaning hard on the Biden agenda and stressing the importance of bipartisan cooperation despite their lack of actual accomplishments beyond endless rhetoric. Her campaign is focusing on the hopes of a miraculous immigration reform bill from the Senate that went nowhere faster than a Democrat dodging a tax audit. If that wasn’t enough, she’s also putting the expanded child tax credit at the forefront, even though, like many Democratic initiatives, it has seen more ups and downs than fracking bills in her home state.
Where Kamala Harris Stands On Key Policy Issues https://t.co/hOIf6uepQd
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) August 13, 2024
In a bold strategic move—or desperation, depending on how one looks at it—Harris has been keeping Biden at arm’s length during her early campaign events. It’s amusing to consider that Biden might actually be a hidden asset for her, not by propping her up on stage, but by stumbling into the background, allowing her to hog the limelight. Their shared appearance in Maryland this week is set to be a rare pairing in their campaign efforts. This might be the political equivalent of a ‘No Boys Allowed’ sign on the treehouse while reminding everyone that there is indeed a line separating her from the president she once served under.
Despite their joint ventures, Harris’s campaign strategists believe that it may sometimes be necessary for her to create some “daylight” between her agenda and Biden’s less-than-stellar approval ratings. After all, it’s a little hard to run for the presidency when your ticket mate is sitting on a throne of discontent due to high inflation and the southern border migrant chaos that has unfolded on Biden’s watch. The clever strategy seems to involve tossing the old man under the proverbial bus—but only when necessary and only to keep her prospects looking bright.
The vice president’s recent approach has seemed to elevate her profile but raises an eyebrow regarding her commitment to solid policy-making. Harris’s administration meetings with high-profile figures like Prime Minister Netanyahu and welcoming home hostages from Russia are more about optics than substance. It’s no secret; the Democrats are nervous about how much baggage she carries from her previous policy stances—like her affection for decriminalizing illegal border crossings and anti-fracking measures that’ve come back to bite her in the campaign trail. Gaining ground in polling among enthusiastic Democrats who are just glad Biden isn’t on the ticket anymore, Harris seems to be riding an unexpected wave, but it remains to be seen if that is enough to keep her afloat when the real policy meat hits the fan.
Meanwhile, in the true spirit of politics, Republicans are gearing up to paint her as nothing more than a puppet of the Biden administration. They intend to remind voters that the inflation rates and immigration woes of the country are still very much a product of the policies from her past, making her résumé a significant liability. And although Harris might momentarily hold a slim lead in polls against Trump, it’s essential to recognize that she remains a coin flip away from losing the enthusiasm generated by a Biden-less ticket. The upcoming election clearly promises to be a comedic drama of epic proportions where both candidates will likely be left battling both their past policies and their party’s agenda in order to sway the perfectly divided American population. It’s a circus, folks, and the clowns are taking center stage!
