If they want to gain the trust of more moderate or hesitant elements, Republicans and Democrats alike will have to consider reframing elements of their platforms or even considering different approaches.
For example, Donald Trump is seeking to redefine his position on abortion, as the issue is crucial and directly linked to the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.
For Kamala Harris, border management and illegal immigration pose a major challenge. She has previously embraced a typically progressive view on these matters, and as vice president, Joe Biden has entrusted her with many responsibilities on this thorny issue, a veritable Pandora’s box.
Not so distant past
Before the Democratic convention began, Kamala Harris's opponents and critics noted her tough and hard-line tone in confronting Donald Trump's proposals to resolve the border issue.
Regarding the famous wall that the Republican candidate has been proposing since the 2016 campaign, she has repeatedly said that it is a stupid waste of public money, while describing it as a “medieval vanity project” (January 2019).
As vice president, beyond the wall, she worked diplomatically with countries where immigrants come from and carried the administration’s message that we want to avoid separating families, while opposing demands for mass deportations.
But she, like President Biden, found that a majority of voters are concerned and have a negative perception of the administration’s policies, even though the president has increased initiatives and surpassed his predecessor in this regard.
Election periodical
So Kamala Harris and her strategists used the conference to re-target the message to voters. The Democratic nominee wants to toughen her tone.
And how far is she willing to go in this direction? By asserting that she will quickly sign the bipartisan congressional agreement, which is being pressured by Donald Trump and his Republican allies, she opened the door to extending the wall that her opponent wants.
Thus, the Democrats find themselves facing a candidate who supports, directly or indirectly, a strategy that is denounced within the party and rejected by the majority of security experts (except for the targeted sites).
This shift in position may be partly explained by Democrats’ desire to move quickly and reach out to Republicans. It can also be argued that the funds released for the wall extension will amount to only $650 million, which is light years short of the $18 billion that Trump once demanded.
the “slippers» Or there are many faces in politics. And that’s not the last we’ll see between now and November 5. Except this time, the change has been as sudden as it is startling.
Will Kamala Harris be able to convince voters that she is genuinely changing course? Two months before the election, I highly doubt it.
