On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “OutFront,” host Erin Burnett said that 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris “in so many ways, just embodies” change “by her existence,” but on policy, “she’s been the Vice President for three-and-a-half years.” And remarked that “we were highlighting that she was going to raise capital gains taxes by slightly less than Joe Biden was going to raise capital gains taxes as if that was some sort of a massive break in tax policy” from Biden.
CNN Political Commentator and Democratic strategist Paul Begala stated, “75% of the American people want change, 75% who think we’re moving in the wrong direction. This is why Joe Biden was so stuck, right? But Kamala Harris has broken free of the incumbency because she’s change incarnate. And all she has to do — James is exactly right — is turn to Trump and say, that’s all you’ve got, the same old stale — it’s like a carton of milk that you left out in the sun for eight years. It’s stale and it stinks and nobody wants it.”
Burnett then said, “James, but when you come to, people want change, and, obviously, I understand the change that Kamala Harris, in so many ways, just embodies by her existence, right? And who she is. But on policy, she’s been the Vice President for three-and-a-half years. How do you make a change argument there or does it even matter? Today, we were highlighting that she was going to raise capital gains taxes by slightly less than Joe Biden was going to raise capital gains taxes as if that was some sort of a massive break in tax policy, right? This isn’t about that, is it?”
Democratic strategist James Carville responded, “Well, first of all, people understand the vice president doesn’t set policy, but that’s all right. She’s got many things you can point to. By the way, she’s talking about small business tax breaks, Trump’s talking about keeping tax cuts for people over $400,000. Who do you think needs a break in this country, small businesses or billionaires? It’s a very, very simple thing that she’s got to do. Trump represents the past. He’s stale. He’s the politics of yesterday. She’s got to portray herself, as I think she will, as being fresh, and I think she can do that. I don’t think it’s that hard against Trump. It might be harder against somebody else, but you’ve got to look who you’re running against.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
