Are Democrats becoming the Republicans of 4 years ago?
Advocating for border walls, avoiding climate change talk, wanting to increase military budget. What happened to Democratic values?
Intro
Well, for the second time since she took the nomination, we got to see Kamala Harris’ potential policies and agendas that she is running on with her interview last night with Dana Bash on CNN. And very frustratingly, it seems like the Democratic Party is now the Republican Party of 2018 and 2020.
Now, before I dive deep into this, I want to preface it by saying that these criticisms I raise regarding Harris is not because I don’t support her and the Democratic Party over Trump. I raise these concerns and criticisms because I want the party to be better, because I know that they can be better. For the past almost decade I’ve watched the Democrats become complicit on running on the idea that they are not Trump. And the truth is it might even work again this election if we look at current polling, but the truth is this tactic will not work forever. Now, with all that said, let’s understand why some quotes from last night’s interview have piled onto my worries for the future of this party.
The Climate
First, I want to tackle an issue I personally am very invested in, climate change. Harris’ stance on climate change has been very sparse. There was zero mention of it in her DNC speech, and for the first time we heard her speak on it last night. What did she have to say? That she backed a vote to increase fracking. She mentioned how the Inflation Reduction Act had some climate investments, but that was it. We have gone from the Democrats supporting the Green New Deal, increasing renewable energy, and increasing subsidies to barely a mention of the climate in four years.
“As vice president, I did not ban fracking. As president, I will not ban fracking… I cast the tie-breaking vote that actually increased leases for fracking as vice president. So I’m very clear about where I stand.”
Now I understand the idea of needing to appeal, for example, to Pennsylvania voters who unequivocally support fracking jobs. But would it not be better to frame how you will support fracking while also supporting training more people to become solar engineers, windmill technicians, jobs that pay more and also help the climate? How is the current Democratic position different from Republicans? Currently, China is installing the wind and solar equivalent of five large nuclear power stations per week. It has been profitable for them, increased skilled labor, and helped lower their carbon emissions significantly. But instead of attempting to create a message to explain to voters how we can phase out these old and non-renewable industries while also subsidizing and helping create new jobs, Kamala Harris would rather just say she supports fracking.
The Border
“…a border security bill that would’ve put 1,500 more agents on the border. And let me tell you something. The Border Patrol endorsed the bill…”
The next topic I’d like to address is the border. Kamal famously in 2019 during a debate said she would be in support of decriminalizing illegal border crossings. Now I want to for one second forget about the actual policy to focus on messaging. Today, Biden has clamped down on immigration and borders more than Trump ever did, the Democrats ostensibly support a border bill, and Harris is even more hard-line in this idea. Does our border and immigration system need work? Absolutely. Is the current Democratic Party position on immigration much different than the Republicans from a couple of years ago? It’s practically the same. Why would someone who is voting on the lines of the border see both parties’ positions and not pick the Republicans who have had the same stance for decades. Kamala Harris needs to be running on the platform of increasing pathway for legal immigration, better support for asylum seekers, and the idea that America was built by and for immigrants.
It has been clear that immigrants do not commit more crime. In fact, they have the same level, and more often, less incarceration rates compared to US-Born citizens. Instead of debunking the myths and rhetoric coming from Trump and the right, Kamala Harris would rather just say she supports the border bill and shutting down the border even more.
The Israel/Gaza War
Lastly, I’d like to briefly touch upon the Gaza and Israel situation. She was once again asked about a potential arms embargo and ceasefire. Before I get into her answer, I would like to highlight one thing. No matter what your personal standings are, polls after poll has shown that a majority of Democrats support limiting weapons to Israel. It’s not just the moral choice, it’s electorally the popular and correct choice too.
Yet in her answer last night when asked if her position would be different from what Biden has done so far, she simply answered:
“No. I — we have to get a deal done. Dan — Dana, we have to get a deal done. When you look at the significance of this to the families, to the people who are living in that region — it — a deal is not only the right thing to do to end this war but will unlock so much of what must happen next.”
She stammered, she stuttered, and she basically said no, nothing will change. We will not stop sending weapons. Why? A decision that is so obvious, coming out in support of an arms embargo, would immediately garner support from Michigan voters as well as lots of people who have been turned off from voting because of this situation. Once again, how is Kamala’s position different from the Republicans? Fellow Substackers Zeteo dive deeper into this issue and show how an arms embargo would increase favorability for the Democrats in swing states.
Final Thoughts
And so this is my point. When it comes to policies, whether it’s an attempt to attract those mythical centrist voters or something else, the Democratic Party in every shape and form seem to have gone so much more right than even just four years ago. Sure, the Republicans on many of these issues have gone way to the right as well, but this is what the problem stems from. Every time Trump, or someone in the MAGA movement refuses to compromise and goes more extreme, the Democrats simply follow suit to appeal to people who are ‘the new center’. Left behind them is a group of voters who feel powerless, disenfranchised, and pessimistic. Once again, Kamala Harris is a better choice than Trump if you are a liberal, but it’s clear that it’s not Harris vs Trump. It’s now Trump 2020 vs Trump 2024. As the left continues to lose its voice more and more, the number of apathetic voters will only continue to increase.
I’d like to wrap this up by asking you guys what you think. I’ve created a poll you can answer, and as always feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.