If they want to win the trust of the more moderate or undecided elements, Republicans and Democrats alike must consider reformulating elements of their programs or even considering different methods.
For example, Donald Trump is seeking to redefine his position on abortion, since the issue is crucial and directly associated with the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
For Kamala Harris, border management and illegal immigration are a major challenge. In the past, she has adopted a typically progressive vision on these issues and as vice president, it is to her that Joe Biden has entrusted many responsibilities in this thorny issue, a real Pandora’s box.
A not so distant past
Before the start of the Democratic convention, Kamala Harris’ opponents and critics noted her firm and uncompromising tone in the face of Donald Trump’s proposals to resolve the border issue.
Regarding the construction of the famous wall proposed by the Republican candidate since the 2016 campaign, she has repeatedly said that it was a stupid waste of public funds, while calling it a “vain medieval project” (January 2019).
As vice president, beyond the wall issue, she worked diplomatically with the countries where the migrants come from and carried the administration’s message that it wanted to avoid separating families, while opposing calls for mass deportations.
However, like President Biden, she found that a majority of voters are worried and have a negative perception of the administration’s policies, even though the president has stepped up initiatives, surpassing his predecessor in this regard.
Electoral Pirouette
Kamala Harris and her strategists have therefore taken advantage of the convention to redirect the message presented to voters. The Democratic candidate wants to toughen up her tone.
How far is she prepared to go in this direction? By stating that she would quickly sign the bipartisan agreement of Congress, an agreement undermined by Donald Trump’s pressure on his Republican allies, she opened the door to the extension of the wall desired by her adversary.
The Democrats thus find themselves with a candidate who, directly or indirectly, supports a strategy denounced within the party and rejected by the majority of security experts (except for targeted locations).
This about-face can be partly justified by the Democrat’s desire to act quickly and reach out to Republicans. It can also be said that the sums released for the extension of the wall would amount to only 650 million, light years away from the 18 billion once demanded by Trump.
THE “flip-flops” or about-faces are legion in politics. This is not the last one we will see between now and November 5. Except that this time, the change is as sudden as it is spectacular.
Will Kamala Harris be able to convince the electorate of the sincerity of the change of direction? Two months before the election, I strongly doubt it.
