Democrats are encouraging Vice President Kamala Harris to focus on character over policy in the run-up to the November election. Media reports indicate that growing numbers of Democrats are happy with Harris’s performance since she replaced Joe Biden as the Presidential candidate, but want her to avoid policy scrutiny and continue to run a “vibes” and “joy” campaign that enjoys broader appeal. Michigan Rep. Dan Kildee said voters see the election “less about the minutiae of policy and more about the direction of the country” and the character of the candidates. “If it turns on character, this election is over,” he added.
Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire agreed and said Harris should try to maintain the biggest possible range of support by keeping policy vague. Kuster said there is no need for the Vice President to “weed out any points of view right now.”
Nevertheless, Harris faced some criticism for presenting a policy-light speech at the recent Democratic National Convention, and Republicans noted that there was no policy page on her campaign website – which focuses on personalities instead. In response, the GOP has created its own site of what it claims are the Vice President’s hidden plans, including abolishing the border and “letting criminals control our streets.” The site describes the Vice President as “dangerously liberal” and “so radical that she makes the Squad look like moderates.”
Some analysts, however, say the criticism is unfair and that Harris has presented numerous policy proposals as her campaign has progressed. The Vice President said she will decrease existing small business tax deductions for startup costs to help reach her target of 25 million new small companies. Additionally, she wants to bring housing costs down by building three million new homes and helping first-time buyers.
The Vice President has also pledged to increase corporate tax to 28% and raise $1 trillion over the next decade. She promised action on price gouging and expand child tax credits. At her rallies, Harris has zeroed in on her affordable healthcare plans and bringing down drug costs – a Biden administration policy that has already dramatically decreased medication expenses for many patients.
