Source Code Stirs Discussion On Harris Website
Vice President Kamala Harris’s efforts to distance herself from the shadow of President Joe Biden hit a major snag this weekend with the launch of her campaign’s new “Issues” page.
The intent was to set out her own distinct policy positions as she continues her bid for the presidency. However, the page quickly turned into an embarrassment when it was revealed that much of the content appeared to be lifted directly from President Biden’s old campaign website. The misstep, reported by The New Republic, highlighted hidden source code that called for Biden’s reelection, surfacing in search engine results and sharable links.
“They finally added an ‘Issues’ section to her website . . . Unfortunately for Harris, its release was undermined by a simple but telling error: The page’s source code revealed that parts of the platform were copied directly from Biden’s campaign page.” https://t.co/0V3HLDSL3w
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) September 10, 2024
This embarrassing gaffe was first spotted by X user Corinne Green, who pointed out the uncanny similarities between Harris’s new platform and Biden’s previous promises. While the error has since been corrected, it serves as a potent reminder of how difficult it has been for Harris to chart her own course away from Biden’s deeply unpopular administration.
With issues like inflation, immigration, and ongoing foreign entanglements dogging the current administration, Harris faces the steep challenge of convincing voters that she represents meaningful change.
we did it reddit. harris removed the exhortation to re-elect joe biden from her policy platform pic.twitter.com/LM7vxwi8AT
— Corinne Green (@gaynarcan) September 9, 2024
Polling data reflects this uphill battle. A recent survey from The New York Times and Siena College shows a tight race between Harris and former President Donald Trump, with Trump leading 48% to Harris’s 47% among likely voters.
This narrow margin signals trouble for the Democratic nominee, especially in critical battleground states like Pennsylvania, where Harris’s ambivalence toward key policies, including fracking, has left her vulnerable to attacks. Trump has capitalized on this, painting her as inconsistent and out of touch with the blue-collar voters that could decide the election.
Wait, you mean to tell me the most astroturfed, entitled, fake presidential campaign in history also copied its long-awaited policy platform directly from someone else’s website? pic.twitter.com/04Z0Xq6vVw
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) September 10, 2024
The situation is particularly concerning given that 60% of voters, according to a recent poll, want the next president to offer a “major change” from Biden. However, Harris’s platform, now tainted by its obvious ties to Biden’s previous policies, has left many questioning her ability to deliver such a break. The timing of the blunder couldn’t be worse, coming just as Harris’s campaign entered a critical phase, and drawing swift mockery online. One X user quipped, “Wait, you mean to tell me the most astroturfed, entitled, fake presidential campaign in history also copied its long-awaited policy platform directly from someone else’s website?”