Kamala Harris's New Way Forward on the Economy
The 2024 election depends on us, and Message Box is a resource for those attempting to persuade the people in their lives to move off the sidelines and vote against Donald Trump and MAGA extremists. I offer political analysis and targeted advice on engaging in political discussions with friends and family who are skeptical of Biden and curious about Trump. If you wish to support this work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Kamala Harris's New Way Forward on the EconomyThe Vice President is taking the fight to Trump on the top issue in the electionAmidst the political tumult of the last couple of months, one thing has remained constant — the economy is the top issue for voters. More specifically, concerns about elevated prices — despite declining inflation — continue to drive the political conversation. In the most recent New York Times/Siena poll of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, 22% of likely voters said the economy was the single most important issue in deciding their vote — 8 points higher than abortion and 9 points higher than immigration. Dissatisfaction with the economy helped propel Trump to a lead earlier this year despite his convictions, indictments, and involvement with insurrections. This week, Trump gave a speech in North Carolina that was billed as a major economic speech, and on Thursday, he gave an interminably long press conference at his golf club regarding high prices. Yesterday, also in North Carolina, Vice President Kamala Harris gave her first major policy speech of the campaign. She also focused on high prices. Head-to-head engagement on this issue tells us a lot of very good things about how Harris and her team are messaging on the economy. Others are more qualified than I to weigh in on the substantive merits of her proposals, but the politics are promising. Watch the whole thing if you can, it’s great. 1. What She ProposedRead the full policy paper on Harris’s proposals HERE, but the major tenets include:
Even though these items represent a piece of her broader economic agenda, it is impressively comprehensive for a campaign created out of thin air less than a month ago. 2. Why Now?The timing of yesterday’s rollout is aggressive and particularly savvy. It is unusual for a presidential candidate to give a major policy speech right before the convention. Normally, they roll into the convention on a wave of momentum with big rallies. And not for nothing; the speechwriters are usually slammed working on the convention speech. But Harris is in a unique position. Most candidates arrive at the convention after campaigning for over a year. They have laid out their policy agenda in countless speeches, forums, and primary debates. Due to the brief nature of her campaign, Harris was without this opportunity. She launched herself into the race with an imperative to pick her VP under a very compressed timeline. Harris is far from a blank slate. She’s been Vice President for nearly four years but hasn’t yet laid out her vision going forward. There are two reasons to do it now. First, there is no time like the present. There are only so many days left in the campaign. Second, it’s important that the convention speech isn’t burdened with the expectations of major policy rollouts. That speech, which tens of millions of people will view, is her best opportunity to introduce herself to the nation. That speech should not sound like a mini-State of the Union, filled with a raft of policy proposals. Instead, she should communicate her story, values, and vision. Policy will be mentioned, but it isn’t a policy speech. There is no need to go into mind-numbing detail. 3. Harris’s Economic MessageBecause his fake persona as a business tycoon was imprinted on the American psyche via tabloids and reality television, Trump has always had an advantage on the economy. That advantage was magnified this cycle because he associated himself with the economic stability and lower prices during the pre-pandemic era. The best thing the Trump economy achieved was not massively fumbling all of the work Barack Obama did to rebuild the economy after the Great Recession — but I digress. In that NYT/Siena battleground poll, Trump has a 6-point advantage over Harris in terms of trust on handling the economy. This gap is much narrower than Biden faced, but still presents a challenge. This speech and the policies announced are a roadmap for how Harris plans to narrow that gap and win the election:
Yesterday's roll out was a major test for Kamala Harris and her campaign and they passed it with flying colors. The next step is ours. People will only hear this message and learn about these policies if we tell them. That work starts now. You're currently a free subscriber to The Message Box. For the full experience, upgrade your subscription. |
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