Joe Biden, in another gaffe-filled discourse, attempted to reassure an increasingly dubious public that Kamala Harris, if elected, would ‘make her own way.’ This from the Democratic nominee who seems endlessly mired in efforts to persuade voters of the somewhat imprecise promise of ‘change’. Apparently, presidential candidate Harris finds herself contending with disapproval from her Republican counterpart, Donald Trump, following her dubious claim of drawing a blank on what she would have done distinctively from Biden.
Meeting our expectations for a rather muddled explanation, Biden asserted at a Democratic party dinner in Philadelphia, ‘Every president has to make their own path. That’s what I did. I was faithful to Barack Obama but I made my own way as president.’ And the real punchline – ‘That’s what Kamala’s going to do. She’s been dependable thus far but she’ll make her own way.’
Biden glorified Harris by stating that ‘Kamala’s viewpoint on our issues will be inventive and novel,’ while labeling Donald Trump’s perspective as ‘antiquated, unsuccessful, and downright dishonest.’ It’s remarkable that this claim comes from a man who occupied the role of vice president during Obama’s tenure from 2009 to 2017.
In what appeared as a desperate bid to back Harris, his replacement as the party’s representative since July, Biden showcased his comments during a crucial meet in Pennsylvania. Joe Biden, a political veteran, passing the torch to Harris, essentially puts forward the same dynamics, albeit masked with novel jargon.
Harris, seemingly trapped in a conundrum, attempts to portray herself as a ‘candidate of change,’ conspicuously careful not to detach herself from the policies of the administration she’s been part of for over four years. Her actions seem less in line with the promise of ‘change’ and more in line with playing it safe.
Remarkably, a recent poll from the New York Times / Siena revealed voters as slightly more inclined to inspect her, as opposed to Trump, as a divergence from the usual. Well, one could wonder if the standards for change have swayed significantly given the absurdity of this perspective.
Trump and his Republican colleagues seized upon Harris’s puzzling comments, made during an interview with a daytime TV show last week. Harris flippantly said, ‘There is not a thing that comes to mind… and I’ve been part of most of the decisions that have made an impact,’ in response to how she would have done things opposite to Biden. Such a remark mirrors the very disconnect between the promises of ‘change’ and the observable evidence.
The outgoing president, meanwhile, wasted no time launching a vitriolic attack on Trump in his speech catered to local Democrats in Philadelphia. With off-track humour, Biden scorned Trump over a town hall turned entertaining music session on Monday, stating, ‘He stood on stage for half an hour and danced. I’m serious. What is wrong with this man?’
in a futile attempt to swing public sentiment, Biden also criticized Trump for ‘demonizing’ migrants, in what could be interpreted as a strategy to pander to voters. ‘Trump is hiding all his racism, now it’s all on display. He holds the same thoughts on race as the 1930s. Trump’s ideas on economy are pulled straight from the 1920s.’ Quite the hyperbolic statement, isn’t it?
Biden didn’t stop there, although it might have been beneficial if he did. He continued to stretch his argument considerably, stating, ‘Trump’s ideas on women are straight from the 1950s.’ What Biden seemingly failed to appreciate, however, was that some could interpret these arguments as an indication of Trump’s respect for traditional values, rather than the attempted smear campaign.
Critiquing, arguably, for the sake of critiquing seems to be Biden’s chosen strategy, perhaps to distract from the lack of concrete plans, or a strong, coherent message on his side. Yet this approach risks reducing his narrative to nothing more than baseless slander and, at worst, a veiled attempt to malign his opponent. Meanwhile, the Democratic nominee’s hopes of convincing voters of imminent change under Harris grow evermore distant with such approaches.
In summary, this recent address showcased Biden’s now familiar tactics; a slew of contradictions, lacquered promises and a seemingly haphazard approach to vilifying his opposition. It was another contribution to the muddy waters of the electoral campaign where the message of change seems to lose clarity with each passing day, subsumed under political jargon and painfully apparent evasion.
Yet, with all the efforts Biden made to endorse Harris and pour scorn on Trump’s actions and ideals, it remains to see whether voters are buying into these claims. We are left wondering if the promise of ‘change’ will be enough to win the day, especially when it seems drowned amid confusing rhetoric, evasive responses, and endless contradictions.