Pollster Frank Luntz on Friday explained what he felt were Vice President Kamala Harris’ seven errors and missed opportunities during her Thursday CNN interview.
Harris gave her first sit-down interview to CNN’s Dana Bash since launching her 2024 presidential campaign on July 21. Luntz, on “Squawk Box,” said he was unimpressed by Harris’ interview, given how much time she had to prepare for it. (RELATED: Kamala Harris Used To Think Border Wall Was ‘Un-American.’ Now She Supports It.)
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“I was not impressed as an observer and someone who’s expecting more from her with this much time to get prepared,” Luntz said before launching into a rapid-fire list of mistakes he believes Harris made.
“First, and I call it DOD, which is Day One Detail. She gave child tax credits, a housing credit. She should have had something for day one, for the first hour, the first day, the first week, the first month and the first year,” he said. “It’s the most important thing voters are looking for to see whether you’re serious. She really didn’t itemize much more than her talking points.”
Bash’s first question was about what Harris would accomplish on day one should she win the presidential election. The vice president told Bash she would “strengthen the middle class,” but did not go into detail.
“Second, it’s not inflation. It’s affordability. And the fact is, food, fuel, housing and health care has become so much more expensive. She said she understood it, but she didn’t give ideas to address it and to solve it,” Luntz continued. “Third, she emphasized repeatedly, ‘My values haven’t changed.’ Because she’s been accused of being a flip-flopper. It’s not values, that’s about her. It’s priorities, because that’s about all of us.”
Harris championed a fracking ban during her 2020 presidential run, but the vice president rapidly backtracked on her position after launching her 2024 presidential campaign. She did not explain why she changed her stance when Bash asked her during the Thursday interview.
“Number four, ‘You deserve.’ She talked once again as though it was still a convention speech. She did not itemize exactly what the people of the United States deserve in terms of their president, in terms of, in her case, her policies,” he added. “Number five, the C word. She talked about consensus and a little bit about common ground. It’s really common sense, because voters are not looking for an ideological president. They’re looking for someone who can get things done — a real record of results.”
“Sixth, in her attack of Trump, she should have said, ‘He promised, he failed, it’s time to give someone a chance to do a better job.’ Compared Trump’s record rather than just shots at him,” Luntz said, adding, “And number seven,’ how would you feel if your kids spoke to you the way Donald Trump speaks to America?’ It’s a simple rhetorical question. It’s her strongest criticism of Trump, I didn’t hear that last night.”
The pollster said he “would have graded her a C in her first appearance” and that she will need to perform “better” in her upcoming debate against former President Donald Trump.
Republican strategist Scott Jennings said Thursday that he “would be salivating” over Harris defending her and President Joe Biden’s economic record if he were running Trump’s presidential campaign.
Bash also asked Harris if she still believes border crossings should be decriminalized, a stance she took during her 2019 campaign. The vice president did not directly answer the query, merely asserting that she believes in “consequence” and that “we have laws that have to be followed and enforced.”
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