Washington:

Kamala Harris has unveiled a few centrist-leaning policies, abandoned some past positions and left much else vague as she gears up for a critical US presidential debate with Donald Trump.

The Democratic vice president unveiled a list of policies on her website on the eve of the clash, with Republicans accusing her of “flip-flopping” on key issues.

Here is where the White House hopeful stands in five key areas:

‘Opportunity economy’

Harris has stressed her commitment to the United States’ middle class, citing her own background of being raised by a single mother in California, and said she wants to create an “opportunity economy.”

One of her most concrete policies so far is a child tax credit of $6,000 for families of newborn children. She has also promised tax cuts for 100 million Americans while raising taxes on the richest, and to bring down housing prices.

Tax is one of the few policy areas where she has broken with President Joe Biden. In a nod to moderate voters, she wants a 28 percent tax on capital gains, less than the 39.6 percent proposed by Biden.

Harris has also promised to end taxes on tips paid to service industry workers — weeks after Trump announced a similar policy.

She has said she will take on “price gouging” by corporations to tackle high prices — one of her main weak spots against Republican Trump — but her plans on that front remain vague.

Environmental flip-flops

Harris has not set out a detailed environmental policy except on one key area: fracking.

She has vowed not to ban the practice, which uses high-pressure water to extract oil and gas — despite previously saying that she was opposed to it.

In her first and only on-screen interview since becoming the Democratic candidate, she told CNN that her “values have not changed” even if her position had.

Harris has, according to the Axios news site, also backtracked on her opposition to plastic straws.

As vice president, she has strongly backed Biden’s green energy transition under the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act.”

Border ‘consequences’

Illegal migration over the US-Mexican border is one of the most sensitive issues in the campaign.

Harris said in her CNN interview there would be “consequences” for people crossing illegally.

She supported Biden’s bid to toughen migration policy and has backed investing in the border “wall” that Trump called for — despite her criticizing it in the past.

Biden’s proposals, however, have never made it through a divided Congress, with Republicans blocking them to cause Democrats political damage.

Firm on abortion

Harris’s position on abortion, another key election issue, is not in doubt.

She has repeatedly criticized Trump for bragging that he enabled the US Supreme Court to overturn the federal right to terminate pregnancies.

Harris has said that if elected she would push to enshrine protections for abortion in US law.

Gaza quagmire

Harris has been more vocal than Biden on the issue of civilians killed by Israel in the war in Gaza, leading to speculation that she might take a tougher line with the US ally.

But during her CNN interview she said she would not halt arms deliveries to Israel, despite calls among Democrats and Arab American voters to do so, and pledged to help Israel defend itself.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New York:

From Gerald Ford’s catastrophic Soviet gaffe to Ronald Reagan’s witty remark about his age and Joe Biden’s infamous implosion, US presidential debates have featured jaw-dropping moments.

Here are some of the most memorable in modern US politics.

Kennedy-Nixon, September 26, 1960

It was the first televised debate of its kind, when broadcasts were in black-and-white, and it established the importance of a politician’s public image. Republican Richard Nixon looked poised to win the election, having served two terms as vice president under Dwight Eisenhower.

“I’m Bill Shadel ABC News…The 2 candidates will not be sharing same platform. In NY John F Kennedy. Separated by 3,000 miles in L.A. studio, Richard Nixon. Joined for discussion by network of electronic facilities which permits each candidate to see & hear the other”
10/13/1960 pic.twitter.com/9GottJMbPP

— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) October 8, 2020

But the debate did not go well for him. Nixon refused to wear makeup and appeared pale and sweaty in front of more than 66 million viewers, while young Massachusetts senator John F Kennedy looked tanned and relaxed. While Nixon addressed the moderator, Kennedy looked at the camera, speaking directly to his voters. 

How much the debate visuals pushed the needle is disputed, but Kennedy went on to defeat Nixon at the polls.

Ford-Carter, October 6, 1976

The first debate between Republican president Gerald Ford and Democratic challenger Jimmy Carter was marked by a 27-minute loss of audio. The second debate didn’t go well for Ford either when he made a gaffe that arguably cost him the presidency.

At the height of the Cold War, Ford uttered that “there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford administration,” even though the Soviet Union had troops deployed across the Eastern bloc.

Six days passed before Ford explained himself, saying he spoke not of the literal military presence but meant that people’s spirits there hadn’t been crushed.

Reagan-Mondale, October 21, 1984

Republican president Ronald Reagan was 73 when he ran for a second term against 56-year-old Walter Mondale. But he turned his age into his strength with a witty answer that went down in history.

“I will not make age an issue of this campaign,” Reagan said when asked whether he was fit for office. “I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”

Bush-Clinton-Perot, October 15, 1992

The second presidential debate in the 1992 race pitted incumbent president George Bush against both his future successor Bill Clinton and Ross Perot, an independent candidate. 

Bush was caught on camera looking at his watch while Clinton talked to an audience member during a town hall debate, a move that cost Bush dearly. 

Years later, Bush admitted he hated debates. “Maybe that’s why I was looking at it — ‘Only 10 more minutes of this crap.'”

Obama-Romney, October 22, 2012

During a debate against president Barack Obama, Republican challenger Mitt Romney lamented that the US Navy had fewer ships presently than it did in 1916.

“Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets, because the nature of our military’s changed,” Obama retorted. 

“We have these things called aircraft carriers, where planes land on them. We have these ships that go under water, nuclear submarines.” 

Obama’s comments went viral.

Trump-Clinton, October 9, 2016

The second debate of the 2016 US presidential election pitting Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump was particularly vicious. 

Coming shortly after the release of a video in which Trump was heard boasting that his fame allowed him to grope women, the Republican billionaire went after his opponent’s husband, former president Bill Clinton, accusing him of being “so abusive to women.”

Trump also vowed to have Hillary Clinton investigated over her use of a private email account when she was secretary of state. 

“It’s just awfully good that someone with the temperament of Donald Trump is not in charge of the law in our country,” Clinton said. 

Trump shot back: “Because you’d be in jail.”

Trump-Biden, September 29, 2020

The first debate of the 2020 presidential election, featuring Trump and Democrat Joe Biden, devolved into shouting and insults. 

With Trump constantly interrupting him, Biden snapped, saying, “Will you shut up, man?” 

The Democrat also called his opponent a “clown” and “Putin’s puppy.”

Trump for his part kept evading the question of whether he would recognize the results of the election. 

Powerless to control the two candidates, the debate moderator, Fox News journalist Chris Wallace, later described feeling “desperation.”

Trump-Biden, June 27, 2024

Organized an unprecedented four months ahead of this year’s November vote, the June debate was supposed to give Biden, 81, a chance to shore up concerns about his age.

But it was a debacle for the Democrat, who repeatedly lost his train of thought, stared blankly and spoke at times incoherently and with a raspy voice.

The dismal performance set the stage for Biden to eventually drop out of the race — passing the torch to Trump’s new challenger, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Harris and Trump will now debate on Tuesday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hillary Clinton, who became the first woman to secure a major US party’s presidential nomination, addressed the Democratic convention in Chicago today and praised her party’s new presidential nominee Kamala Harris, and attacked Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Thousands have gathered in Chicago for the Democratic Convention to show their support for Kamala Harris as officially nominated democratic party candidate against Donald Trump in the 2024 US presidential elections.

“As president, she (Kamala Harris) will always have our backs and she will be a fighter for us. She will fight to lower costs for hard-working families, open the doors wide for good paying jobs and, yes, she will restore abortion rights nationwide,” Clinton said.

Attacking Trump, who she lost in the 2016 US elections, Clinton said he “only thinks about himself”.

“Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial, and when he woke up, he made his own kind of history, the first person to run for president with 34 felony convictions,” she said.

.@HillaryClinton: Kamala will never rest in defense of our freedom and safety. Donald Trump fell asleep at his own trial pic.twitter.com/30gaMgk7n3

— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) August 20, 2024

Clinton, who lost the party’s nomination to Barrack Obama in 2008, also praised US President Joe Biden, saying he has been the “champion of Democracy, at home and abroad.”

“And now, we are writing a new chapter in America’s story,” Clinton said, adding Kamala has the “character, experience and vision to lead us forward.”

Kamala Harris’ Surprise Appearance

Kamala Harris also made a surprise appearance at the party’s national convention and vowed to defeat her Republican rival Donald Trump in the November election.

“Let us fight for the ideals we hold dear and let us always remember, when we fight we win!” she said in brief remarks.

She also praised Biden and said, “Joe, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation.”

“We are forever grateful,” she told Biden.

A historian who has correctly predicted the result of nine US elections has now weighed in on the Donald Trump vs Kamala Harris fight.

Allan Lichtman, often dubbed the “Nostradamus of US presidential elections”, makes his predictions based on his “13 keys to the White House”.

The method consists of 13 true or false questions, and if six or more keys go against the incumbent party, the 77-year-old American University historian predicts their defeat. If fewer than six went against it, it would win. 

The keys assess various factors, including economic performance, social stability, and incumbent charisma. Through careful analysis spanning historical data since former US president Abraham Lincoln’s era, Lichtman has crafted a predictive model that transcends conventional methods used by traditional psephologists.

Allan Lichtman’s “13 Keys To The White House”

From Ronald Reagan’s re-election triumph amid economic recession to Bill Clinton’s victory against George HW Bush, Allan Lichtman has correctly predicted crucial poll contests in the US.

The 13 keys to the White House as designed by him are as follows: 

Party Mandate: Post-midterm elections, the incumbent party secures more US House of Representatives seats than in the previous midterms.

Nomination Contest: There’s no significant challenge to the incumbent party’s nomination.

Incumbency: The sitting president represents the incumbent party.

Third-party Factor: There’s no noteworthy third-party or independent campaign.

Short-term Economic Stability: The economy doesn’t face recession during the election period.

Long-term Economic Growth: Real per capita economic growth equals or surpasses the average growth of the preceding two terms.

Policy Shift: The incumbent administration enacts major alterations in national policy.

Social Stability: There’s no prolonged social unrest throughout the term.

Scandal-Free: The incumbent administration remains free from major scandals.

Foreign/Military Mishaps: No significant failures occur in foreign or military affairs under the incumbent administration.

Foreign/Military Triumphs: The incumbent administration achieves significant successes in foreign or military matters.

Incumbent Charm: The incumbent party’s candidate possesses charisma or enjoys national hero status.

Challenger Appeal: The opposing party’s candidate lacks charisma or national hero status.

Donald Trump Or Kamala Harris, Who Will Win US Polls?

Allan Lichtman currently favours US Vice-President and Democrat Kamala Harris over her Republican rival Donald Trump. He told News Nation that he believes “a lot would have to go wrong for Harris to lose.”

Democrats, with Harris being the likely nominee after Joe Biden quit the reelection race, currently hold six of the 13 keys, according to his prediction. These include a primary contest, short-term economy, long-term economy, policy change, no scandal, and no challenger charisma.

“Right now, Democrats have lost three keys” by switching to Harris, he told News Nation. 

He said Democrats lost the “party mandate” key due to big losses in the 2022 mid-term elections. He also said Harris has lost the “charisma” and “incumbency” keys.

I plan to make my official prediction in August after the Democratic convention.
See my assessment below below on the 13 Keys Tracker on where The Keys stand NOW. Please listen to our LIVE show on 7–25–24, linked in the comments below, where we detail every Key. pic.twitter.com/pJpkpa3SzW

— Allan Lichtman (@AllanLichtman) July 26, 2024

Under his prediction model, Democrats, however, would have to lose three more keys in order for him to predict a Harris loss. But he says that’s not likely to happen.

He has said that he plans to make his official prediction for the 2024 White House race after the Democratic convention in August.