Harris’s Debate Challenge: Pushing Ahead Without Leaving Biden Behind

The New York Times ^ | Sept. 9, 2024Updated 9:10 a.m. ET | Katie Rogers and Erica L. Green

[E. Pluribus Unum]

At Tuesday’s debate, Kamala Harris, the vice president, will try to promote herself as a change candidate without criticizing President Biden, whom she has served for years.

Vice President Kamala Harris will try to use her debate on Tuesday against former President Donald J. Trump to argue that Americans are ready to turn the page on the politics of the past decade, with its turmoil and social animus.

But Mr. Trump, standing just feet away, is likely to make a different case: He is expected to try to paint Ms. Harris, the sitting vice president, as the candidate of the status quo.

The debate will pose a challenge for Ms. Harris, who will have to decide how much to embrace or distance herself from President Biden and his policies at a moment when polls show that many Americans are hungry for change. It is a conundrum other vice presidents have faced while seeking the presidency, and Ms. Harris’s allies said she would have to tread carefully as she makes a case for herself.

“She can praise Biden and talk about the accomplishments, but also acknowledge that the work is not done,” said Bakari Sellers, an ally of Ms. Harris and a Democratic political commentator. “So she has to be willing to display to the American people a level of empathy and understanding, and not simply say everything we did was God’s gift to politics.”

A recent poll by The New York Times and Siena College highlighted the difficult task Ms. Harris faces. It found that 61 percent of likely voters said the next president should represent a major change from Mr. Biden. Only 25 percent said Ms. Harris represented that change, while 53 percent said Mr. Trump did.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Running against yourself is hard.

[Sirius Lee]

Running against yourself is hard.

Harder if you're stupid.

[alloysteel]

Not only running against herself, “Que mala” Harris is also handicapped by inability to think on her feet, or to speak in other than canned clichés that come out as word salads.

All Donald Trump has to say after a barrage of this, is “I have no idea what the Vice President is talking about.”

[kiryandil]

Katie Rogers and Erica L. Green from The New Gaslight Times, trying to pretend that Kammy never had one thing to do with her own administration, just as both those gaslighting clowngirls will pretend that The Virgin Kammy has never fellated a single male appendage on her way up the political ladder...

[Gene Eric]

Typical MSM lipstick

[KevinB]

Lots of NYT postings lately. Many (most?) of us can’t get by the paywall because we refuse to support the rag.

[FlipWilson]

Her campaign isn’t about the past, its about the future.

And yours sure as well would be too, if you were responsible for the present.

[Organic Panic]

If only that mean Trump hadn’t been president the past four years.

[TChad]

“I have no idea what the Vice President is talking about.”

"And I doubt that she does either."