Ms. Harris brings a breath of fresh air, but...

American politics has rarely witnessed such a rapid rise as Harris's, but questions remain about her leadership qualities if she wins the election.

Harris campaigned in the village of Little Chute, Wisconsin on November 1st - Photo: REUTERS

Even though the US election on November 5th is fast approaching, the election landscape remains a stalemate between the two presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. Both have laid their policy cards on the table for voters to consider. Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris is betting her chance to become the first female occupant of the White House with progressive yet controversial policies.

Still stuck in the shadow of their predecessors.

In terms of head-to-head record, Harris was widely considered to have the edge in the only presidential debate between the two candidates. Despite the sudden nature of the debate and the limited preparation time, Harris's campaign was considered quite successful, presenting a fresh and positive image of herself to voters. However, even the most impressive campaign couldn't mask the inherent weakness: the Democratic candidate hadn't yet infused her own personality into the policies she promised. In its presidential candidate analysis, the Wall Street Journal noted that Harris's presidency could be seen as a second term for Joe Biden, or even a fourth for former President Barack Obama. Like Obama and Biden, Harris would become the next "surfer" on the wave of progressive politics sweeping the Democratic Party in the 20th century.

Economic policy is not yet clearly defined.

Obama displayed impressive oratorical skills during a campaign rally for Harris in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on October 10 - Photo: AFP

According to the Washington Post, Harris has yet to fully explain her economic policies. She focuses on promoting and promoting the creation of an accessible economy for the middle class, calling it an "opportunity economy." One of her main policy pillars is boosting social welfare for citizens, particularly through expanding Social Security and Medicare ( health insurance), as well as pledging not to raise taxes for those earning less than $400,000 per year. She also aims to "revive" and expand several personal income tax exemptions, including tax breaks for parents of newborns. However, Harris has yet to publicly disclose details of her roadmap towards these goals. It is likely that Harris will continue Biden's policy of favoring multilateral and free trade, and avoid the excessive use of tariffs like Trump. China may be a rare exception to this policy. During their four years in the White House, Biden and Harris imposed hefty tariffs on Chinese imports such as electric vehicles and precious minerals. The US Vice President is expected to continue this policy if elected.

Standing alongside traditional allies

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets with US Vice President Kamala Harris on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, February 17 - Photo: AFP

Foreign policy hasn't been a highly regarded aspect of the Biden-Harris administration. During their term, they witnessed the bloody withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, resulting in 13 American soldiers killed and the rapid collapse of the pro-American government there. The world also saw two of the most serious conflicts in years erupt in Ukraine and the Middle East, while tensions in the Taiwan Strait also escalated significantly. This is believed to stem in part from the current president and vice president's soft, yet insufficiently deterrent, approach. Many analysts worry that Harris's lack of experience in handling foreign policy issues could encourage Washington's rivals, such as Russia and China, to become more assertive. However, fundamentally, Harris is almost certain to continue implementing Biden's security and foreign policies. She has stated that she would continue to support and provide military assistance to Ukraine if elected president, and has emphasized her stance of standing with Israel in the Middle East. The Democratic candidate did not specify whether the United States under her administration would impose concrete conditions on Tel Aviv in exchange for military aid. The relationship between Washington and its remaining allies, including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Japan, and South Korea, is also expected to remain stable if Harris becomes president.

Continuing the wave of radicalism

Harris poses for a photo with voters in Pennsylvania on October 27 - Photo: AFP

Regarding other domestic issues in the US, the US Vice President emphasized her progressive stance, which has been shared by the Democratic Party for many years. Ms. Harris supports abortion rights in particular and women's bodily autonomy in general, directly affirming her commitment to fighting for federal legislation through Congress. She also advocates for leading policies related to climate change, especially the continued implementation of the anti-inflation law she played a key role in passing. This is the most ambitious environmental law under Mr. Biden's administration, providing hundreds of billions of dollars in funding for the White House's green and clean energy initiatives. On the issue of illegal immigration, Ms. Harris pledged to address it. The most significant solution she offered was "reviving" the border control bill that had died prematurely due to opposition from Trump in early 2024. Finally, legislatively, Harris promised to pursue several reform goals such as removing the minimum 60-vote requirement to pass most bills in the Senate, adjusting election regulations to make it easier for voters to vote remotely... In particular, the US Vice President will seek to pursue her judicial reform ambitions by proposing term limits for Supreme Court justices.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/ba-harris-dem-den-lan-gio-moi-nhung-2024110217313973.htm