Harris angers left flank with appeals to Trump-skeptical Republicans – Washington Examiner
Vice President Kamala Harris has adjusted her messaging to attract a broader voter base, particularly appealing to moderate Republicans, which has led to disappointment among progressive Democrats. Initially running on a progressive platform in the 2020 elections, Harris has shifted her stance significantly since becoming the leading candidate for the 2024 elections. Concerns are growing among her progressive supporters that her strategy could dampen enthusiasm and turnout, jeopardizing their electoral prospects.
Harris’ outreach to the political center has intensified, notably through her partnership with former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, which has drawn criticism from left-wing factions within the party. Particularly contentious is Harris’ acceptance of support from Liz Cheney’s father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, which exemplifies the rift between her current strategy and the ideals of progressive Democrats. Harris aims to target centrist, college-educated voters who historically have higher turnout rates compared to Democratic demographics like Black and Latino voters.
Additionally, her policy focus has shifted towards middle-class economic issues rather than progressive initiatives like raising the minimum wage, causing further dissatisfaction among her left-wing base. Notably, her positions on complex issues such as the Israel-Palestine conflict and immigration have also become more conservative, leading to increasing frustration from progressives who fear her campaign is straying too far from core Democratic values.
Harris angers her left flank with appeals to Trump-skeptical Republicans as lead shrinks
Vice President Kamala Harris has toned down her left-wing messaging to appeal to a wider audience, leaving her left flank feeling disappointed and neglected.
Harris ran on one of the most progressive platforms in 2020, contributing to a crushing loss early in the Democratic primary. After assuming the spot atop the ticket in 2024, her message has been drastically different, as she has increasingly attempted to make overtures toward Republicans and centrists. Now, progressive Democrats are warning that this move could depress enthusiasm and voter turnout, possibly costing them the election.
The appeals to the right and center have reached a fever pitch, as former President Donald Trump has largely narrowed or eliminated the polling lead Harris had gained in July and August.
At the center of this strategy have been appearances with former Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, whom she has stumped with in October more than any other figure. Her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, infamous among Democrats, endorsed Harris. The Harris campaign’s welcoming of the endorsement highlighted the problems many progressive Democrats were taking with the campaign’s path.
“The tent is big enough for a guy who got us into a war with Iraq, and then the tent is not big enough for a Palestinian to speak for two minutes on the D.N.C. stage,” Gen-Z for Change Executive Director Elise Joshi told the New York Times.
“The vibes really peaked when she chose Tim Walz to be the V.P. candidate,” she added. “That time feels like it was so long ago.”
Harris’s appeals to the center aim to attract centrist college-educated whites, who have a higher turnout rate than the solidly Democratic black and Latino demographics. She has touted her pledge to put a Republican in her Cabinet if she wins the election, another move that angered many Democrats.
Her policy focuses have also taken a noticeable shift — progressives lament her failure to chart a new course from President Joe Biden’s support for Israel during the war in Gaza, which many progressives view as a genocide. Her economic focus is now on the middle class, targeting businesses and entrepreneurs rather than the lower-class issue of raising the minimum wage, which has not played as prominent a role. She has become more hawkish in rhetoric on the border and stressed her ownership of a firearm.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has caught on to the discrepancy and publicly warned Harris, though he remains a vocal advocate for her.
“They want to hear her to be more aggressive in making it clear that she’s going to stand up for the working class of this country,” he told the New York Times. “You lose the working class, I don’t know how you win an election.”
Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of the progressive Sanders-founded group Our Revolution, warned that opposition to Trump is not enough to mobilize many young voters.
“Will she fight for the things that we believe in?” he told the outlet. “I think people aren’t sure. Most will bite their tongue and vote to defeat Donald Trump, and others just won’t be able to overcome their primary objections.”
Despite the concerns of progressives and some rhetoric, however, Harris’s platform is one of the furthest left in U.S. history.
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