When Kamala Harris officially replaced Joe Biden at the top of the ticket for the 2024 election, the enthusiasm among Democrats was palpable. Biden’s disastrous debate performance, coupled with his low favorability ratings and poor polling, caused many on the left to panic, but Harris’ energy and enthusiasm woke young people up from the slumber that Biden’s age had lulled them into.
In the months immediately following her entrance into the race, polls consistently showed Harris closing Donald Trump’s lead. Some pundits predicted she would continue to rise, especially after her polling peaked in response to her decisive debate victory over Trump in September. In reality, after a post-debate bounce, she is failing to grow her small lead. New polls show this race to be in a dead heat. Harris has a small lead nationally, but every swing state is within the margin of error. It is anyone’s game.
What has caused Harris’ honeymoon period to end? Many cite the perceived “vagueness” of her campaign as a reason for this lull. While the concerns are valid, she’s being as specific as she can.
For the most part, Harris is running a populist campaign based on putting money back into the pockets of middle-class Americans through various types of tax credits. She calls this plan the “opportunity economy.”
Her broad economic plan includes many specifics, including a $50,000 tax deduction for small businesses, an expanded child tax credit worth $6,000 for newborns and a $10,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers, coupled with a $25,000 down payment assistance.
The accusations of vagueness mainly come from Harris’ inability to explain how she will put these policies into place. Of course, tax policy requires approval from Congress, and many wonder if she will get her plan approved. The truth is that she does not know the odds of either, and that is not her fault.
Harris’ promises likely require the Democrats to maintain control in Congress, and no one knows yet how this election will play out. While these campaign promises may require certain things to go the Democrats’ way in November, this truth does not fall on Harris, and it certainly does not make her platform vague.
More people on both sides of the aisle should question Trump’s platform. While his platform attempts to solve many of the same problems Harris’ does, his proposed solution is implausible, dangerous and absurd.
Last week in Colorado, Trump announced “Operation Aurora,” a national mass deportation plan billed as the Trump-Vance solution to all of our country’s problems. Americans are unable afford a home? To Trump and Vance, that is because the immigrants are buying them all up. Childcare isn’t affordable? In Trump’s mind, immigrants are draining all of our education resources. When he deports all “25 million,” all problems will suddenly go away.
Unfortunately, this plan is built on lies. There are not 25 million illegal immigrants in this country, as Pew Research Center estimates that the number is closer to 12 million. To fulfill his promises, he would have to deport people who are legally in this country. How would he actually carry out this plan? He claims he will deploy federal troops and emboldened law enforcement to do their job, buat would this truly mean? Would law enforcement go around racially profiling our neighbors and then deport those they deem unfit? The cost of carrying out a domestic mass deportation operation would be much higher than the perceived benefits, and the cost to taxpayers would be high, as well.
At this point in the election season, both candidates have laid out their plans for issues, such as housing, childcare and business. While Harris’ plan may not be perfect, it is not vague, and most importantly, it is far better than what Trump has proposed.
