As she has progressed in her campaign as a candidate for the Presidency of the United States, Kamala Harris has wanted to make it clear that she is not rivaling Donald Trump, but interestingly also emphasizes that she is not Joe Biden, even though she has been aligned with the latter as a Democrat.
The vice president is well aware that the current president had less acceptance among voters after his first electoral debate with Trump at the end of June, so it is not unlikely that she is considering presenting herself very differently from him and detached from his guidelines, as this could affect her. In fact, during these last few days, the candidate seems to be reinforcing in her speech, this distancing from Biden, as she may be concerned about the results of the polls.
What do the polls say? A recent NBC News poll found that Harris and Trump are tied with 48% approval. Although it is a tie, Democrats are concerned that the Republican has risen four points compared to September, very quickly, while the vice president has dropped. If this trend continues, it is not out of the question that he will surpass her in the coming weeks.
Kamala Harris' team discusses strategies
Based on anonymous sources, NBC News reported that Kamala Harris' team is discussing how to put more distance between her and Joe Biden.
"The surveys have consistently found that Biden is a drag on Harris' candidacy and that voters are eager for a new direction," says the quoted source.
As part of distinguishing herself from Biden, Harris has proposed new policies, such as creating a 'Medicare at home' program for seniors to receive healthcare at home, addressing the Israel-Hamas conflict, appointing a Republican to her Cabinet, establishing a bipartisan council of political advisors, and providing mental health care for war veterans.
A source told the aforementioned media outlet that despite being affected by Biden's image, Kamala Harris does not directly criticize his administration. "Her level of loyalty is incredible," the informant said.
The candidate's effort to appear different from the current President is evident in her campaign slogan: "A new path to follow."
However, Harris' team still does not have a definitive strategy on how to distance her from Biden, as the idea is to do it delicately due to the representation he has had in the Democratic Party.
The sources revealed that before announcing any distancing, Kamala will likely communicate it to the White House.
What does Joe Biden think about the distancing with Kamala Harris?
NBC News reported that sources expressed that Joe Biden supports Kamala Harris in case she needs to reinforce a distance from him. The president believes that in the coming weeks, she should "draw more contrasts" with him.
The informants stated that Biden does not have "great concern" about that, as he knows that the goal is to win.
“She should do whatever it takes to win,” said a source.