Clinton strategist Carville urges Harris to split from Biden's policy
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President Biden joins Vice President Kamala Harris on Sept. 2 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It's the first time they appear together on her campaign trail since he withdrew from the race. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Vice President Kamala Harris, who has cast herself as the presidential candidate of change, should break from her boss' policy agenda to beat former President Trump, Democratic presidential strategist James Carville wrote in the New York Times.
Why it matters: Harris has repeatedly stood by President Biden and his accomplishments, while her crunch-time campaign has zeroed in on earned media, stops in swing states and calculated appearances in the press, Axios' Sophia Cai previously reported.
- "To be the certified fresh candidate, Ms. Harris must clearly and decisively break from Mr. Biden on a set of policy priorities she believes would define her presidency," Carville wrote in an opinion piece published Tuesday.
Zoom in: Carville urged Harris to pitch policies distinctive from the Biden administration's work.
- "Don't run from your differences with the president," he wrote. "Embrace them, respectfully and honestly."
- He suggests her campaign should pitch "new way forward" policies during a rally in a swing state.
- He also suggested she capitalize on the Sept. 10 debate against Trump.
State of play: Harris' campaign has not announced fully fleshed-out policy plans. She has faced criticism for flip-flopping on some policies, which Carville argues is an opportunity to display a "growth mind-set" from her previous presidential bid.
- On immigration, she pledged to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on the wall along the southern border, which she had previously called "un-American" during the Trump administration.
- On health care, she's no longer pushing Medicare for All, Politico reported last month. On energy, she said she wouldn't ban fracking during her first formal interview as the nominee.
- On the economy, a top concern to voters, Harris has defended Biden's record. She also has floated ideas like giving first-time homebuyers a $25,000 tax credit and families a $6,000 child tax credit.
Between the lines: The Biden-Harris ticket already prevailed in (largely uncontested) primaries — and Harris has seen a surge in donations and volunteer efforts since Biden exited the race in July.
- "The most thunderous sound in politics is the boom of a single page as it turns from one chapter to the next" Carville wrote, adding: "I know that Kamala Harris represents that next chapter. If she stays fresh, soon the American people will, too."
The intrigue: Biden's "objectively more progressive policy agenda was not an insult" to former President Obama, Carville wrote.
- Harris should follow the same course to show that she "represents change rather than more of the same."
Zoom out: Carville has had the pulse on the trajectory of the presidential race throughout the summer.
- He predicted Biden's departure from the race days after his June debate with Trump.
- Carville changed his mind on Harris' path to the Democratic nomination when he saw the party immediately coalesce around her. He had initially favored a regional town hall concept to decide on a replacement.
Go deeper: Harris' campaign shares $24.5M with down-ballot Democratic races
