Harris is calibrating her policy pitch for going to battle with Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is facing the delicate task of calibrating her policy pitch to American voters, a standard task for any White House hopeful but one that comes with additional challenges this year.

First, Harris is running for president while serving under President Joe Biden, meaning she’s linked to anything that happened — or will happen — on his watch. She inherits accomplishments like limiting the cost of insulin but also the administration’s struggle to prevent illegal border crossings.

Second, Harris has baggage from her own failed campaign for president before she became Biden’s running mate four years ago. During that Democratic primary, she backed an array of progressive proposals that Republicans have highlighted to paint her as “dangerously liberal.”

Harris has already disavowed some of her earlier positions, such as a ban on fracking and support for single-payer healthcare. And she’s pledging to keep some of Biden’s promises, including no tax increases on anyone making less than $400,000 a year.

That means Harris’ path to the White House could depend on her ability to chart a course toward the country’s future while being selective about her past. Success will mean keeping Democrats united behind her vision while keeping the focus on Republican candidate Donald Trump’s record of undermining abortion rights and his challenges to democratic traditions.

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