Harris Faces Challenge Trying To Paint Herself as the Agent of Change

Recent polling from the New York Times/Siena College shows that the efforts of the Kamala Harris campaign to position her as the candidate of “change” are taking root with voters – even though Harris herself said that she would not have done anything differently from President Biden over the past four years. 

The electorate, increasingly divided, seems to agree on one thing: the country needs change. It was part of the reason Biden was such an unpopular candidate for reelection – Americans are frustrated with the state of the nation and are looking for fresh faces and new policies. Harris and Donald Trump have both tried to cast themselves as an agent of this desired change, a struggle for a sitting vice president and an unpopular former president.

The recent Times poll showed that 46% of likely voters said Harris represents change more, while 44% said Trump represents change more. (A hint to the partisan undercurrent of the question is that only 4% said neither represents change.)

Comparatively, a September New York Times/Siena College poll showed that voters were more likely to see Harris as representing “more of the same” (52%) than they were to feel like Trump represented continuity (38%).

While the recent numbers suggest Harris’ attempts to distance herself from the unpopular and take credit for the popular may be working, her recent appearance on ABC’s The View went viral for Harris’ admission that she would not have done anything differently during the Biden administration.

“There is not a thing that comes to mind in terms of, and I’ve been a part of most of the decisions that have had impact,” Harris told the hosts.

Later during the same appearance, Harris followed up her response by talking about her pledge to have a Republican work in her Cabinet.

“You asked me what is the difference between Joe Biden and me, well I am going to have a Republican,” Harris said. “Because I don’t … feel burdened by letting pride get in the way of a good idea.”

Trump’s camp jumped on the comment, with Trump himself hopping on Truth Social to call it “her dumbest answer so far” and compiling his own all-caps list of the many things he would have done differently from Biden.

Harris was also asked about change during her Colbert dubbed November’s matchup a “change election” and asked Harris what major changes she would make as president and what would stay the same.

“I’m obviously not Joe Biden,” Harris replied. “So that would be one change…but also, I think it’s important to say, with 28 days to go, I’m not Donald Trump.”

Harris, then, is trying to dissociate herself from both Biden and Trump as she attempts to paint herself as the agent of change America desperately desires. Yet, with less than four weeks until Election Day, the vice president is struggling to spell out to the electorate exactly how much change she will bring – and whether it is the kind of change the country wants.