Washington: Vice President Kamala Harris is a captive of her Democratic party and its unpopular policies, the editorial board of a top American financial daily said on Thursday, warning the ruling party that her Republican rival Donald Trump can win anyway if the undecided voters conclude that she is merely a political cipher.
“Harris and Democrats are betting that a majority of voters will never vote for Trump again, and they may be right. But he could win anyway if the remaining undecided voters conclude that Ms. Harris is merely a political cipher whose agenda is whatever Democrats like Chuck Schumer and Elizabeth Warren command,” said the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal.
In a damaging editorial, the daily said Harris’s recent interviews showed that her campaign of “vibes” and safe appearances suggested she would be, like President Joe Biden, a captive of her party and its unpopular policies.
For Kamala Harris, even friendly interviews are treacherous these days. This week she may have made the biggest mistake of her 81-day campaign in response to similar questions from TV host Stephen Colbert and “The View.” Asked what she would do differently than President Biden, the Vice President said “there is not a thing that comes to mind.”
If Ms. Harris loses, that answer will go far to explaining why. Her mistake isn’t merely that she hasn’t distanced herself enough from Mr. Biden’s unpopular record, though that is a problem. It’s that she hasn’t shown voters that she is her own woman. Her campaign of “vibes” and safe appearances suggests she will be, like Mr. Biden has been, a captive of her party and its unpopular policies.
Even if they disagree with him, voters can’t say Donald Trump hasn’t put his stamp on his party and the issues. That isn’t true of Mr. Biden, who has always followed the rest of his party. Thus as President he veered left, bowing to progressives on everything from immigration to spending to cultural coercion. He’s ending his term with a 41% approval rating.
Without having to compete in a presidential primary, Ms. Harris had a chance to set her own campaign path. Instead she has hugged closely to both the Biden record and her party’s progressive agenda.
