America is Moving Right. But for How Long?Column: The politics behind Kamala Harris's ideological makeoverMatthew Continetti
October 18, 2024Finally, some good news: "No Matter Who Wins, the US Is Moving to the Right," reads the headline of David Weigel's recent piece in Semafor. Nor is Weigel the only one who's noticed. Listen to Kamala Harris abandon her past positions, watch Democratic ads on television, or read the latest polling, and the trend line is clear. The Democratic Party is scrambling to catch up with an electorate that has moved to the right on energy, immigration, crime, and gender identity. Five years ago, as a candidate for the Democratic nomination, Harris catered to the social justice Left. Now she tells Oprah she'll shoot intruders with her Glock. That's what I call progress.
The turnaround is sudden. Having secured the presidential nomination without winning a single primary and with three months to go before Election Day, Harris was forced to improvise. Gone was the candidate who wanted to abolish private health insurance, decriminalize border crossings, ban fracking, phase out the internal combustion engine, and close private prisons. A new Harris was born. When she couldn't ignore her earlier policies, she repudiated them.
Today Harris says that if she's elected, current health care arrangements will remain in place. She'll work with Congress to build the southern border wall and reduce illegal immigration. Fracking will continue, but electric vehicle mandates might not. She'll keep sending military aid to Ukraine and defend America and Israel against Iran. Her legislative agenda will use the tax code to redistribute wealth to first-time homebuyers, small businesses, and parents. Republicans will sit in her cabinet. The business sector will influence her administration.
This isn't Build Back Better. It's Build Back Barely, as circumstances allow.
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https://freebeacon.com/columns/america-is-moving-right-but-for-how-long/
