Harris Races to the Middle Ahead of the 2024 Final Stretch

• Vice President Kamala Harris is making a concerted effort to appeal to centrist voters as the election approaches.
• Trump’s attempted moderation on abortion faced backlash, causing him to retreat.
• Harris is positioning herself to enable Republican support.

In a strategic move, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is actively striving to connect with undecided voters and Republicans as the election draws near. With Labor Day marking the start of the final campaign push ahead of November’s election, Harris is keenly aware of the significance of her narrative. Recent events, notably President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race, have created an environment of unpredictability.

The national focus will intensify as early voting begins in Pennsylvania on September 16. According to a Gallup poll, about 20% of adults nationwide remain undecided about their preferred candidate. Despite this uncertainty, Harris seems to be gaining traction, with RealClearPolitics indicating she led her opponent by 1.8 percentage points in national polling on Friday. In swing states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, her margins are narrow, leading by just three points, highlighting the competitive nature of the race.

Traditionally, Labor Day serves as a pivotal moment when more Americans begin to engage with the election process. Gallup has noted that voter awareness has reached unprecedented levels, suggesting a potential for high turnout. “If people are giving more thought, those turned out to be higher turnout elections,” noted Gallup Senior Editor Jeffrey M. Jones, hinting at a possibility of surpassing the record turnout seen in the 2020 election.

In her recent interviews, Harris signaled a notable shift in her stance on immigration. Previously, during her primary campaign in 2019, she advocated for decriminalizing border crossings. Now, she emphasizes the need for consequences for illegal crossings, drawing on her experience as a prosecutor. “We have laws that have to be followed and enforced,” she stated in a CNN interview, portraying herself as the candidate capable of handling immigration challenges.

This shift suggests Harris is trying to counter perceptions that have favored Trump on the immigration front. The former president’s previous framing of her as “Biden’s border czar” may not have been official, yet it has considerable impact given her role in discussions regarding the root causes of migration.

Harris has also adjusted her stance on fracking, a highly pertinent issue in Pennsylvania, and has distanced herself from the “Medicare for All” perspective that characterized her earlier campaign. To further demonstrate her commitment to attracting Republican voters, she has pledged to appoint a Republican to her cabinet, a departure from recent trends where neither Biden nor Trump embraced this tradition.

However, critics, including Trump’s team, are skeptical. They point to Harris’ claim that her “values have not changed” as evidence of potential insincerity in her pivot toward moderation. The Trump campaign continues to label Harris as a radical liberal, attempting to discredit her new positions amidst their own contentious narratives.

In a contrasting move, Trump appeared to flirt with moderate opinions on abortion. Initially cautious about how the reversal of Roe v. Wade might affect his party, Trump has publicly expressed more centrist views regarding women’s reproductive rights. Despite appointing conservative justices instrumental in the Roe reversal, he recently stated that his administration would support women’s rights and expressed dissatisfaction with strict abortion laws like Florida’s six-week ban.

However, in response to conservative backlash, Trump quickly retreated from his moderate stance, stating he believes six weeks is insufficient time for women. His recent campaign behavior showcases the tension within Republican ranks regarding abortion rights, especially as voters in states like Arizona and Nevada contemplate ballot measures that would secure abortion protections in their constitutions.

As the election approaches, voters will face candidates trying to navigate the demands of their respective bases while also courting the middle ground. Trump and Harris are discovering the limits of their respective shifts toward moderation as they seek broader support. Each candidate’s moves reflect their attempts to appeal to undecided voters, but also illustrate the challenges of balancing base loyalty with the need to attract a wider electorate.

In response to Trump’s altercation on the issues, Harris asserted, “Donald Trump just made his position on abortion very clear: He will vote to uphold an abortion ban so extreme it applies before many women even know they are pregnant.” This back-and-forth encapsulates the competitive nature of the race as candidates make calculated moves to secure vital votes in a turbulent electoral environment.

Source: Business Insider