How VP Kamala Harris Can Win the Election

 VP Kamala Harris can win the election by showing independence from some of President Biden’s worst decisions, moving a bit to the center while differentiating herself from the Trump/Vance agenda.

1.        Ukraine: She should remove restrictions President Biden put on Ukraine.  No country should be limited to defending itself only by destroying its own territory.  It must hit the aggressor’s supply lines, etc.  By taking this stance:

a.        Harris draws a sharp contrast to the Trump/Vance ticket.

                                                               i.        Trump has, at best, been equivocal in his support for Ukraine.  He disdains Ukraine.  He says he could stop the war in one day, but everyone realizes he does not say how.

                                                             ii.        Vance is the most anti-Ukraine member of Congress.  He likens the Ukraine war to our 2003 invasion of Iraq.  How can he not see the dramatic differences?

b.       By displaying strength, she reduces an advantage that Trump had over Biden.  Voters will be relieved to hear a strategy which can let Ukraine win..

c.        She will gain support among the military.

d.       She will gain a lot of support and trust in Europe.  International reactions could be a positive boost to her campaign.

e.        She displays that she is her own person; not a carbon copy of Biden.  This inspires hope in those who have not liked other Biden policies.

2.        Energy: Harris can develop a broader policy, while continuing to support transition to an ultimate green economy.  She can:

a.        Reverse Biden’s policy of encouraging more oil drilling in Venezuela, Iran and Russia.

b.       Replacing Venezuelan, Iranian and Russian oil with US oil and LNG:

                                                               i.        Is better for the environment.

                                                             ii.        Hurts the economy of our enemies, which makes it harder for them to support wars and terrorism.

                                                           iii.       Enables our allies to rely on us instead of pushing them to rely on our enemies.

                                                           iv.        Boosts our economy and jobs,

c.        Positions her as more centrist and brings disgusted moderates back to the ballot box.

d.       Maintains differentiation with Trump/Vance by continuing to support a green economy.

3.        Tariffs: Harris can focus tariffs on critical industries, reducing trade wars with allies.

a.        This differentiates her from both Biden and Trump/Vance.

b.       It will also excite our foreign allies.

c.        It will boost our economy, reduce inflation and may increase jobs.

d.       It may help with the border by creating jobs on the Mexican side.

4.        Border: get control of our borders, then provide a path to citizenship for worthy illegal immigrants.

a.        This is a logical position, endorsed by most citizens.

b.       Supporting a strong border (even with a wall) removes an issue for Trump.

c.        She can round up and deport immigrant gang members while being sympathetic to those who work, pay taxes and are loyal.

d.       She’d redefine the issue to focus on Trump’s unpopular deportation plan which punishes good, hard-working immigrants; hurts our employers and the economy; disrupts families, making them more likely to need welfare; wastes government money and staff time; and alienates local governments, thereby stimulating sanctuary city responses.

e.        She can propose to work with Congress to create broader immigration reform.  It is best not to get buried in details which could be criticized.  Signaling that she’ll work with both sides of the aisle is a win-win.  If Trump talks about allowing immigrant college graduates to have visas, she can acknowledge that is an issue she’d like to discuss with Congress and that she thinks it should be considered carefully as part of a broader proposal.

f.          Side advantage: this signals more work with Congress and fewer executive orders.

5.        Education: She can be the “Education” president. 

a.        She can favor public charter schools, without supporting full school choice.  Most voters favor this position. 

b.       She can wordsmith this to avoid criticizing the teachers’ union, thereby maintaining their support.

c.        This is a “bully pulpit” issue as education is a local political issue.  Voters will appreciate having a President who cares about their education, rather than kowtowing to the AFT.

d.       This also shows independence and strength.

e.        This will also help bring out the vote, in the inner city as well as suburbia.

f.          If she wants to, she could also work to support Civics Education.

 

Other issues:

·        Israel: She should continue Biden’s support of Israel and concern for the Gazans.  Her messaging should be subtly different from Biden’s and Blinken’s ridiculous standard that the risk of one civilian death makes a military strike unacceptable.  She needn’t specify that change; she can simply avoid such statements.

·        Voting laws: Most people in the country support voter photo ID.  She could win a lot of fans by saying “We should have voter photo ID to secure our elections.  Almost all our allies do.  Admittedly, there is a problem that some voters don’t have photo IDs.  In our society such IDs are critical, so we should remove that problem by getting them photo IDs.”

·        Taxes: Harris will clearly favor tax increases, but she might find some ways to differentiate her position, perhaps by opposing a wealth tax.

·        Prison reform: Not an issue to lead with.  If asked, she should recognize the problems with bail and suggest using electronic means (such as anklets) to accomplish the goals.

·        Abortion: She should leave it to the states but express her personal position.  Coming out strongly for abortion probably isn’t a critical mistake but it crowds the above issues out.

·        Supreme Court: She should be careful not to jump on the bandwagon of trashing the Supreme Court.  This will differentiate her from the extremists in both parties and demonstrate her respect for government and sound leadership.  Nonetheless, if asked, she could support 20-year revolving limits for future Supreme Court appointees, perhaps with each judge limited to a single term.

·        LGBTQ issues: Generally best to not to bring up this issue.  If asked, she would do well to be moderate.  For example, she could explain that CA AB 1955 allows teachers to share students’ gender pronouns with parents; it simply says that school boards can’t force teachers to do so.  If a teacher knows that a parent is violent and condemns LGBTQ people, caution in advising the parent may be a good idea.

·        Gun laws: Another topic best not to bring up.  If asked, she can support broadly popular gun restrictions.

·        Spending:  While I’d like to see reduced spending, that is not a winning campaign stance.  She might support more military budget, but even that might be best left unsaid unless she faces a direct question.  Entitlements fall in this area.

·        Iran: Reinstating sanctions is a good idea but should not be mentioned yet.  As sanctions require international support, she needs to develop international trust first.

·        Taiwan: it is probably best not to make Taiwan a major issue.