KAMALA Harris has so far failed to set out a vision different from Joe Biden’s, a Republican strategist has insisted, a move that could prove fatal for her chances of victory in November.
The vice president has been on a media blitz recently – ranging from an appearance on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast to being quizzed by journalists on 60 Minutes and Fox News.
But earlier this month, Harris raised eyebrows when she told The View panelists there was nothing she’d do differently from Joe Biden.
GOP strategist Matt Terrill, who served as chief of staff on Marco Rubio’s 2016 presidential campaign, said Harris has to articulate herself on shows – rather than make a fleeting appearance.
“I suspect Vice President Harris’ goal was to go into these interviews trying to provide clarity with respect to her plans on the economy, border security, and how’ll be different,” he told The U.S. Sun.
“I don’t think she’s doing an effective job.”
Terrill, the managing partner of the public affairs firm Firehouse Strategies, suggested that Harris’s lack of clarity on the key issues is one reason she’s underperforming among specific demographics.
Polls suggest Harris has ground to make up in support among Black voters compared to Joe Biden’s levels of support in 2020, and she’s struggling to win over Latinos compared to previous Democratic presidential candidates.
“Harris will have to answer core questions that voters have right now, and she’s not effectively doing it,” Terrill said.
The strategist argued that this election campaign provides a unique opportunity for voters to compare and contrast the records of the Trump and Biden-Harris administrations.
And he warned Harris could come unstuck if voters turn the election into a referendum on her.
Terrill acknowledged that convincing voters she’s different from Biden is a challenge.
“When you’re the incumbent in office, you own the news of the day, particularly when you’re at a level such as the Vice President or president,” he said.
“When it comes to the economy, inflation, and border security, this is ultimately going to be a referendum on the Biden-Harris administration.
“If this really is a change election, Harris has to find a way to talk about how she will be different – particularly as it relates to inflation and border security.
“Those are two core issues that are really driving this race.”
Earlier this month, Gallup polling revealed that 52% rate the economy as extremely important to their presidential vote.
This is the highest level it has been in the last three presidential election cycles.
The economy and immigration are the two most important issues among Republican or GOP-leaning voters, according to Gallup.
Data shows that Trump has a lead over Harris in handling the economy and inflation, immigration, and foreign affairs.
Harris has tried to thread a fine needle, presenting herself as a change candidate without entirely distancing herself from the Biden administration’s record.
Fellow GOP strategist John Thomas spoke to The U.S. Sun ahead of Harris’ keynote Democratic National Convention speech and warned she may have to throw Biden under the bus at some point.
Just days after appearing on The View, Harris told Fox News star Bret Baier her administration would be an independent one.
“My presidency will not be a continuation of Joe Biden’s presidency,” she told Baier.
“Like every new president that comes into office, I will bring my life experiences, my professional experiences, and fresh new ideas. I represent a new generation of leadership.”
The combative Fox showdown saw Baier probing Harris on issues such as the economy and migration.
Harris admitted that the US immigration system is broken and claimed the administration has been working to fix it.
She brushed off questions about Biden’s fitness for office by attacking Trump.
“Joe Biden is not on the ballot. Donald Trump is,” she told Baier.
Harris will have to answer core questions that voters have right now, and she’s not effectively doing it.
Matt Terrill
Harris also claimed that she’s turning the page despite more than 60% of voters, on average, thinking the country is on the wrong path, according to Real Clear Politics polling.
Critics accused Harris of not answering questions during the Fox sitdown, and Trump’s team branded the interview a trainwreck.
Trump’s team claimed Harris couldn’t respond to Baier’s questions because she had no answers.
But the Harris campaign was happy with the interview, with communications adviser Brian Fallon telling reporters afterward that she “was able to reach an audience that is probably been not exposed to the arguments she’s been making on the trail.”
“She also got to show her toughness in standing tall against a hostile interviewer,” Fallon added.
Early voting is underway across the country, and millions have cast their ballots.
Those who have voted include former president Jimmy Carter, 100, who cast his ballot for Harris.
The campaign is entering its final stages, and Harris’ team has reportedly been discussing an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
A decision hasn’t been made, and it has also been reported that Trump would be open to appearing on the show.
Harris has already appeared on Call Her Daddy and sat down with the radio star Charlamagne tha God.
“This is a margin of error race,” Harris said on the show.
“It’s tight. I’m gonna win. I’m gonna win, but it’s tight.”
The stakes could not be higher heading into the final weeks of the campaign, particularly in the battlegrounds where the race is on a knife-edge.
TIGHT RACE
Recent NBC News polling suggested the race nationally is a dead heat at 48-48.
Barack Obama has been on the campaign trail in a bid to help Harris boost support among Black voters.
Harris is underperforming Biden by 15 points among Black male voters, according to a New York Times poll.
Meanwhile, Trump has been trying to court Latino voters and appeared at a town hall in Miami, Florida.
Recent election cycles have seen the GOP make in-roads among Latino voters in the Sunshine State, particularly Cuban Americans.
A recent Telemundo poll suggested 61% of Cuban Americans in Florida would vote for Trump, while 28% would back Harris, per CiberCuba.
Trump is also gearing up to hold a rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
New York has not been won by a Republican presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan in 1984, but Trump has claimed he has a “real chance” of turning the state red.
Trump has seen his odds of victory surge in recent weeks, according to Polymarket.
The prediction market suggests he has a more than 60% chance of retaking the White House.
He is the clear favorite to retake six of the seven swing states, but Nevada is tighter.
Real Clear Politics analysis predicts that if the election were held tomorrow, Trump would win with 312 Electoral College votes.
