{"id":2316479,"date":"2024-07-31T06:53:01","date_gmt":"2024-07-31T10:53:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/progressives-embrace-harris-despite-early-pivot-to-the-center-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-07-31T06:53:43","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T10:53:43","slug":"progressives-embrace-harris-despite-early-pivot-to-the-center-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/progressives-embrace-harris-despite-early-pivot-to-the-center-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Progressives embrace Harris despite early pivot to the center &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fprogressives-embrace-harris-despite-early-pivot-to-the-center-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2316479&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Top progressives in Congress are rallying around Vice President Kamala Harris, despite her recent shift towards more centrist positions as she \u2064campaigns\u2062 for the presidency.\u200b Initially known for her\u2063 liberal stances during \u200cthe 2020 primary, Harris has started to clarify or renounce these views, such as her previous support for banning\u2062 fracking and\u2063 the push for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/newsom-pushes-healthcare-for-illegal-immigrants-as-california-lawmakers-look-at-single-payer-healthcare-system\/\" title=\"Newsom Pushes Healthcare For Illegal Immigrants As California Lawmakers Look At Single-Payer Healthcare System\">single-payer healthcare system<\/a>. At a\u200c campaign event in Atlanta, she reaffirmed her intent to work on a bipartisan border compromise, which\u200d some progressives view as a retreat from their ideals.<\/p>\n<p>This pivot is seen as an attempt to align with the centrist image of President Joe Biden, \u200cespecially in light \u200dof his recent\u200b exit from the race following\u200d a poor debate performance. Despite her shift in policy, prominent progressive leaders, including Senator Bernie Sanders and\u2064 Senator Elizabeth \u200cWarren, have maintained their support\u200c for her \u2064candidacy, \u2062signaling a pragmatic approach among Democrats in the current political climate. Harris has previously embraced \u2064many progressive causes, but\u200d as the general election approaches, she seems to be moderating her\u2063 stances to appeal to a \u200dwider electorate while still trying to maintain\u2063 a connection\u200b to her\u2063 progressive \u200cbase. \u2062Critics, including\u200d former President Donald\u200c Trump, are likely to\u2063 use her past remarks against her, framing her as a &#8220;radical.&#8221;  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Progressives embrace Harris despite early pivot to the center<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1717559\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>Top progressives in Congress are embracing Vice President <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/kamala-harris\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Kamala Harris<\/a> despite a tack to the middle in the early days of her run for president.<\/p>\n<p>Harris has attempted to reverse or clarify many of the liberal views she espoused five years ago, during her run in the 2020 presidential primary. On Friday, her campaign <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/energy-environment\/4795337-kamala-harris-fracking-ban-stance\/amp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>disavowed<\/a> her previous support for a ban on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/fracking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>fracking<\/a>, while a campaign spokesperson told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> she would not pursue the forced buyback of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mcconnell-urges-republicans-to-work-with-democrats-on-gun-control-legislation\/\" title=\"McConnell Urges Republicans to Work With Democrats on Gun Control Legislation\">military-style assault weapons<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/medicare-for-all\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>single-payer healthcare<\/a>, an issue she has waffled on for years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>At a campaign rally in Atlanta on Tuesday, Harris promised to sign into law a bipartisan compromise on the border that was opposed by Republicans, but also progressives.<\/p>\n<p>The pivot suggests Harris will run in the more centrist image of President Joe Biden, who dropped out of the race earlier this month following his disastrous debate performance. It also suggests Democrats see a liability in her comments as Republicans seek to define her as a &ldquo;San Francisco radical.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The attempts to insulate Harris from those critiques have not cost her with progressive heavyweights, however, even those who had been holding out for commitments that she would embrace an agenda that champions their top priorities.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who ran to the left of her in the 2020 primary, declined to say whether he was disappointed with the shift, merely quipping at the Capitol on Tuesday, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m disappointed that I&rsquo;m late to a vote.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>But he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3101988\/sanders-endorses-harris-for-president\/\">endorsed her run<\/a> for president on Saturday, just as Harris&rsquo;s campaign was distancing itself from her prior policy stances.<\/p>\n<p>Other progressive lawmakers, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), gave Harris latitude for rejecting single-payer healthcare. Harris <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/2020-election\/kamala-harris-walks-back-her-hand-moment-health-insurance-democratic-n1024756\">embraced<\/a> Sanders&rsquo;s Medicare for All proposal in 2019 and was a co-sponsor of the bill <a href=\"https:\/\/www.congress.gov\/bill\/115th-congress\/senate-bill\/1804\/cosponsors\">two years earlier<\/a>, but eventually rejected the idea of eliminating private plans, a position her campaign reiterated on Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not where we are right now,&rdquo; Warren, another original co-sponsor who ran against Harris in the 2020 primary, told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. Instead, Warren, who supports the bill to this day, espoused an incrementalist approach focused on preserving the gains Democrats made under Biden and, before him, President Barack Obama.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I see it as we need, as Democrats, to fight for every change that we can make that lowers costs for American families, and to push back against the Republicans who want to take away healthcare, take away <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pelosi-pulls-rank-on-biden-says-he-doesnt-have-the-power-to-cancel-student-debt\/\" title=\"Pelosi Pulls Rank On Biden, Says He Doesn\u2019t Have The Power To Cancel Student Debt\">student loan debt cancellation<\/a>, take away $35 insulin, take away the improvements that we&rsquo;ve been able to get,&rdquo; she said.<\/p>\n<p>The support reflects the pragmatic inclination of progressives during the Biden era. Sanders lost two runs for president crusading against the Democratic establishment but has proceeded to use his political capital to exact concessions from the party.<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, that was a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2020\/07\/08\/biden-sanders-unity-task-force-recommendations-353225\">policy blueprint<\/a> he crafted with Biden to guide his presidency after Sanders agreed to drop out of the primary. With Harris, Sanders <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/3101988\/sanders-endorses-harris-for-president\/\">held out his endorsement<\/a> until a full week after she clinched the delegates to replace Biden in the hope she would provide &ldquo;specificity&rdquo; on her views.<\/p>\n<p>His <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/campaign\/4795884-sanders-wants-more-commitments-harris\/#:~:text=He%20said%20he%20wanted%20to,before%20providing%20an%20official%20endorsement.\">wish list items<\/a> include expanding Medicare to include dental and vision as well as a nationwide cap on rent. It is not clear what commitments, if any, Harris made to earn Sanders&rsquo;s support.<\/p>\n<p>Harris had embraced most progressive priorities during her 2020 run for president. She was part of a crowded Democratic field trying to differentiate themselves by running further to the left, a reputation she bolstered with her voting record in the Senate.<\/p>\n<p>But this time, she enters the presidential race in the throes of the general election, when candidates often moderate their views to appeal to a broader electorate.<\/p>\n<p>The abandonment of aspirational pieces of legislation such as Medicare for All may not be satisfying to the progressive voters who want to see a wholesale overhaul of climate and healthcare policy. But they do allow her to dangle enough changes to satisfy her base while neutralizing, to some extent, the warnings of Republicans who say she would crash the economy or take away rights with her proposals.<\/p>\n<p>On firearms legislation, for example, Harris still supports a ban on assault-style weapons, as well as universal background checks and red flag laws.<\/p>\n<p>Former President Donald Trump has already signaled he will use Harris&rsquo;s prior positions to pillory her as a radical, while video footage from the 2020 primary, already being used by Republicans in campaign advertising, could overwhelm any effort by Harris to tack to the middle.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;She pledged to ban fracking &mdash; no fracking, oh, that&rsquo;s going to do well in Pennsylvania, isn&rsquo;t it?&rdquo; Trump said Saturday at a rally in Minnesota. &ldquo;Remember, Pennsylvania, I said it. She wants no fracking. She&rsquo;s on tape. The beautiful thing about modern technology is when you say something, you&rsquo;re screwed if it&rsquo;s bad.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/biden-administration-has-14-000-migrant-children-without-parents-custody\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) downplayed Harris&rsquo;s evolution on healthcare, calling her views today a matter of building a winning coalition. Meanwhile, other Democrats have brought up Trump&rsquo;s own attempts to moderate his campaign, including his rejection of a federal abortion ban.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think that what she&rsquo;s saying is, she&rsquo;s gonna be president of the United States, she has to deliver compromises and find something that works,&rdquo; Booker said of Harris. &ldquo;So, she&rsquo;s gonna do everything she can to expand healthcare access to people. I don&rsquo;t think that&rsquo;s a big change.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><em>Haisten Willis contributed to this story.<\/em><\/p>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1717559\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1717559\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Progressives are rallying behind Vice President Kamala Harris, even as she shifts towards more centrist positions early in her presidential campaign. Harris is working to clarify or retract several liberal stances she took during her 2020 presidential primary bid. Recently, her campaign distanced itself from her earlier support for a fracking ban and indicated that she would not advocate for the mandatory buyback of military-style assault weapons or single-payer healthcare\u2014issues on which she has been inconsistent over the years.<\/p>\n<p>At a rally in Atlanta, Harris committed to signing a bipartisan border compromise that faced opposition from both Republicans and progressives. This shift suggests that she aims to align herself with the centrist image of President Joe Biden, who recently exited the race after a poor debate performance. Democrats appear concerned about how Republicans might label her as a &#8220;San Francisco radical,&#8221; prompting efforts to shield Harris from such critiques.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these changes, prominent progressives have not withdrawn their support for Harris. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who previously ran further left than Harris in 2020, refrained from expressing disappointment about her pivot but endorsed her candidacy shortly thereafter. Other progressive figures like Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) have also shown understanding regarding Harris&#8217;s rejection of single-payer healthcare\u2014a proposal she once supported but later abandoned.<\/p>\n<p>Warren emphasized an incremental approach focused on safeguarding Democratic achievements under Biden and former President Obama rather than pursuing sweeping reforms like Medicare for All at this time. The backing of these influential progressives reflects their pragmatic stance during Biden&#8217;s presidency.<\/p>\n<p>Sanders has leveraged his political influence to secure concessions from the Democratic Party following his two unsuccessful presidential campaigns against its establishment. He held off endorsing Harris until he received clarity on specific policy commitments he desired, including expanding Medicare coverage and implementing rent caps.<\/p>\n<p>Harris initially embraced many progressive priorities during her previous campaign but now faces the challenge of appealing to a wider electorate as she enters this election cycle amid general election dynamics where candidates often moderate their views. While some progressive voters may be dissatisfied with the abandonment of ambitious legislation like Medicare for All, it allows Harris to propose enough changes to maintain support while mitigating Republican criticisms that portray her as extreme.<\/p>\n<p>On gun control issues, for instance, she continues advocating for measures such as banning assault-style weapons and implementing universal background checks and red flag laws. Former President Donald Trump has already indicated he will use past statements by Harris against her in his campaign rhetoric.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) downplayed concerns over Harris\u2019s evolving stance on healthcare by framing it as part of building coalitions necessary for effective governance while drawing parallels with Trump&#8217;s own attempts at moderating his positions during campaigns<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2316480,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24114744538841.jpg.optimal.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[32431,32438,32504,11763],"class_list":["post-2316479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-2024-election","tag-kamala-harris","tag-political-strategy","tag-progressives"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/AP24114744538841.jpg.optimal.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2316479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2316479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2316479\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2316480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2316479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2316479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2316479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}