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Kamala Harris is a staunch radical leftist, holding views that are far removed from mainstream American politics. No candidate from her ideological camp has ever come close to winning national office. In 1972, George McGovern lost 49 states and only secured 37% of the vote, and even he was a moderate compared to Harris.
Joe Biden chose Kamala Harris as his running mate in 2020 for three reasons: she was 1) a woman, 2) Black, and 3) a radical leftist. Her presence on the ticket was intended to rally the Democratic base. In that campaign, Harris pushed for policies like “Medicare for All,” a fracking ban, reparations for slavery, a “gun buy-back” program, and the decriminalization of illegal border crossings—all positions that, by any definition, fall far outside mainstream American political thought.
Biden’s presidency, however, turned out to be a disappointment for the radicals. His efforts to govern as a moderate left both centrists and progressives unsatisfied. Now, Harris’s once-radical views are being used against her, threatening to derail her campaign.
But no worries—Harris is simply “reinventing” herself.
As Axios reported:
“A big part of the Harris plan is to unapologetically change some of her more liberal positions and claim her White House experience helped change her mind. Yes, when she was running for president in 2019, she was against fracking, for decriminalizing illegal border crossings, and for single-payer health care (Medicare for All). No more. She has backed off all three.”
She’s even adopting some of Trump’s popular ideas, like the “no tax on tips” policy for service workers, a big hit in swing states like Nevada.
This leads to a critical question: What does Kamala Harris really believe?
The answer is simple: Whatever it takes to win.
Take, for example, her position on banning plastic straws. During a 2019 town hall, Harris stated, “I think we should ban plastic straws. We do need to ban the plastic straws,” but now her campaign says she no longer supports such a ban.
Some progressive cities, like Seattle, have already banned plastic straws and other single-use plastics, with environmentalists arguing that this is essential for saving the oceans. But Harris has distanced herself from the ban because it’s unpopular among Republicans and independents.
She has also reversed her stances on fracking and building a border wall—both key issues she previously took a hard line on, but now, in pursuit of middle-ground voters, she’s flip-flopped.
The media is going along with her reinvention.
As Chris Cillizza noted:
“The answer to all of these questions is obvious: Politics. Harris staked out all of her more liberal policy positions when she thought that the path to the 2020 Democratic nomination would be to portray herself as a more electable Bernie Sanders. Now that she is the Democratic nominee, she is walking away from them because she needs to appeal to the electoral middle.”
Cillizza further points out the deeper concern:
“But it also makes me wonder — and should make you wonder too — whether she actually believes in any sort of specific policies. Or whether everything is negotiable based on her political circumstances.”
Six months after taking office—if she’s elected—don’t be surprised if those radical positions make a sudden return, conveniently explained by her “time as president” changing her mind.
