The big question Harris has yet to answer: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to the online version of From the policy deskevening bulletin that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill from the NBC News Politics team.

On today’s episode, Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker looks at the big question Vice President Kamala Harris will be looking to answer at next week’s Democratic National Convention. Plus, national politics reporter Bridget Bowman examines how the House control race has changed with Harris at the top of the ticket.

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The big question Harris still hasn’t answered: What is his vision for the country?

By Kristen Welker

Kamala Harris ran for president in 2020. He is the current vice president of the United States. He is set to accept the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination next week.

However, there are still major questions about his vision for the country’s future. What is his purpose other than defeating Donald Trump?

It’s part of the backdrop as Harris prepares for his speech at the Democratic National Convention just days away.

Among the questions voters may want him to answer when they hear from him next Thursday:

• Will his presidency be a continuation of President Joe Biden’s policies and programs?
• Where does he disagree with Biden?
• Where is his allegiance in the Democrats’ fight against the progressive-establishment?
• If Democrats gain full control of Congress, what will be his top priority?
• Where would he compromise with the Republicans?
• How would he get the power?
• And how does he handle defeat and victory? (Unlike past modern presidential candidates, he has never won a presidential primary or caucus.)

Nearly four weeks after his rise to the top of the Democratic ticket, we don’t have answers to any of these questions.

Yes, he has made his position on the Israel-Hamas war clear (He is committed to Israel’s right to exist and defend itself, but will talk about Palestinian suffering). Yes, he would sign it bilateral border agreement to the law. And yes, he announced Economic proposals during his speech in North Carolina today, such as a federal ban on corporate price gouging in the food and grocery industry and a $6,000 child tax credit.

But in these big questions – this “vision workFormer President George HW Bush spoke – we still don’t have an answer.

Still nothing from Harris to match Barack Obama’s “hope” and “change” or Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again.”

What is Harris’ bumper-sticker-sized vision for the country? (The campaign debuted the message “A New Way Forward” on Friday.) That’s the challenge he’s preparing for next week, and what will be the biggest speech of his political career so far.

Sahil Kapoor of NBC News There’s more to Harris’ speech today, where he announced his plans to address the costs of food, housing, medicine and childcare.

‘A roller coaster ride’: Harris’ sudden rise resets tense battle for House

By Bridget Bowman

Harris’ rise to the top of the ticket has reignited the race in the House, with Democrats hoping to ride a new wave of energy into the majority and Republicans tempering dreams of dramatically widening the playing field.

With Biden out of the presidential race, both parties are bracing for a tighter fight based on a small group of competitive districts, as Democrats need to pick up just four seats to take control of the House.

The president was struggling on key battlegrounds even before his disastrous June debate performance, and he recently admitted. to CBS News his potential down-ballot drag contributed to his decision to drop out.

The delay has given some House Republicans confidence that they will not only hold on to their narrow majority, but also push deeper into Democratic territory this fall.

Representative Richard Hudson of North Carolina, chairman of the Republican National Committee. The Politico incident At the Republican National Convention last month, he said the party was looking at districts where Biden won by double digits in 2020, and “I think we can expand the map.”

Now, Hudson said in an interview with NBC News this week, “I think we’re in a different reality where the environment has hardened a little bit,” as an internal poll acknowledged the Democratic base has solidified around Harris.

Describing this election cycle as a “floor ship,” Hudson was still confident that Republicans would hold the majority and pick up seats. He argued that voters’ concerns about the cost of living and immigration would tie him to the Biden administration, and that Harris’s past liberal positions would turn off swing voters.

And among Democrats, there is clear optimism among candidates and strategists about taking back control of the House. This is a marked change from a few weeks ago, when there were sensitive party MPs avoid journalists at the Capitol to avoid questions about Biden.

When Biden was in the race, Democrats still saw a path to a majority, noting that their candidate often outperformed him in the polls. But now there’s less pressure to top the ticket with a more popular presidential candidate.

“We were in a strong position,” Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairwoman Susan DelBene of Washington told NBC News this week. “We are now in a stronger position”

Read more from Bridget →

That’s all for the Policy Desk for now. If you have feedback – like it or not – send us an email politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com

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