Vice President Kamala Harris is trying to grab the torch of change while keeping her hands firmly clasped around President Biden’s economic train wreck. On a day when Biden touted his “Bidenomics” at the White House, claiming an economic “miracle” amid reports that the weak economy was taking another tumble, Harris’s strategy appears to be as shaky as ever.
Biden proclaimed an extraordinary economic recovery, citing miraculous job creation and stock market highs, but reality hit hard as the Dow Jones shed 600 points, leaving him sounding more like a carnival barker than a confident leader. The claims that 16 million new jobs and rising wages mark a triumph ring hollow when most Americans find their grocery bills skyrocketing and their wallets feeling considerably lighter. Meanwhile, Harris wants to chart “a new way forward,” but if that new path leads back to the same old liberal policies, she might find herself navigating through quicksand.
Kamala Harris positions herself as change candidate, but embraces unpopular 'Bidenomics' https://t.co/lyOObNRadM
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) September 3, 2024
The vice president’s precarious position is clear: she has to walk a tightrope between taking credit for some of Biden’s policies while simultaneously distancing herself from others that are dragging down approval ratings. In her recent public appearances, she praised the economic successes associated with the Biden administration but indicated it’s time for America to “turn the page.” That sounds like a clever tactic until one realizes it’s hard to turn the page while still having the old administration’s fingerprints all over the text.
One top Democratic strategist warned that if Ms. Harris fully embraces Bidenomics, she might be stepping on a landmine. With inflation consistently pinching the average American, the last thing voters want to hear is a politician defending policies that contributed to their increasing pain at the pump and the grocery store. Rather than doubling down on the administration’s failed economic playbook, this strategist suggested she should put her foot down on a more populist approach. However, given her track record, it’s hard to envision her as anything other than a loyal foot soldier in Biden’s economic brigade.
Public sentiment shows a clear preference for other leadership, notably former President Trump, who voters now trust more than Harris to handle the economy. Harsh polling data shows that a significant majority believes Harris had minimal influence on economic policy, not exactly the kind of backing she needs during an election cycle. Republican strategists are confident that the connection voters have made between her and Biden’s economic failures will haunt her come election day, with inflation hitting a dangerous 9% during the Biden-Harris administration.
To cement her status as a champion for change, Harris has resorted to proposing even more government intervention, including massive subsidies for first-time homebuyers and price controls on food. This sounds progressive, no doubt, but could instead serve to solidify her image as a far-left candidate. Critics are already warning that her proposed price controls could lead to empty shelves and declining quality – a classic case of well-intentioned but disastrous policy solutions.
In the end, Vice President Harris’s campaign strategy of clinging to Biden’s policies while trying to sell herself as a fresh alternative seems to be a fragile house of cards. Unless voters start seeing real changes to the economic story they’re living, it’s hard to imagine anyone buying her narrative.
