In recent news, both democratic presidential candidate and former vice president Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump have been noted for changing their stances on key issues throughout their careers.
According to Robert Shapiro, a political science professor at Columbia University, changing positions can be advantageous as it allows candidates to appeal to moderate undecided voters by moving towards the center. However, there is a risk of alienating existing supporters of their original positions.
Shapiro pointed out that at this stage, it could be a “benign risk” as both candidates’ supporters may continue to back them while they attract other voters.
However, changing stances could also lead to voters questioning the candidates’ judgment.
John Murphy, a communication professor specializing in presidential rhetoric at the University of Illinois, mentioned that several Democratic figures including Hillary Clinton and John Kerry changed their stance on the Iraq War after initially supporting it, which had negative repercussions for them in later years.
Some argue that while stance changes may be seen as pandering, they also provide a defensive advantage.
Aaron Dusso, a political science professor at Indiana University, stated that both Harris and Trump are trying to diffuse any attacks from each other by leveraging their stance changes.
The Epoch Times chose four policy issues where both candidates have shifted their positions. Harris has altered her views on hydraulic fracturing, immigration, Medicare for All, and gun control. On the other hand, Trump has changed his stance on abortion, marijuana, Social Security, and State and Local Taxes (SALT) among other issues.
Harris, during her 2019 presidential campaign, expressed support for banning hydraulic fracturing. However, after joining President Biden’s team, she changed her stance and now supports promoting clean energy economy without banning fracking.
Regarding immigration, Harris initially supported decriminalizing illegal border crossings and closing immigrant detention centers but now opposes legalization of illegal border crossings.
In the case of Medicare for All, Harris has shifted from supporting Bernie Sanders’ single-payer plan to advocating for strengthening the Affordable Care Act.
On the issue of gun control, Harris went from backing an assault weapons buyback program to supporting a complete ban on assault weapons.
Trump, on the other hand, has changed his stance on abortion, marijuana legalization, Social Security, and SALT deductions over the years.
The shifts in positions by both candidates have raised questions among voters and experts about their consistency and judgment on crucial policy matters.