It’s been more than two months since Vice President Kamala Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee. During that time, he has not held a press conference or sat down with many mainstream journalists to answer serious questions about how he will lead the country and who he will choose as an adviser. Friday, riding high on winning her first debate against Trump, Harris accepted CNN’s second presidential debate offer on October 23. Trump declined the offer to appear on Harris-friendly and anti-Trump CNN saying, “it’s too late.”
Harris has promised to cut costs across the board, although costs remain high because of his and President Biden’s administration’s spending policies. Will these policies continue and if not, what policies will replace them? They said they wanted to implement price controls, but they never worked. Shouldn’t it be better to address and change policies that cause prices and inflation to rise?
How did he handle the war in Ukraine? Should China invade Taiwan by watching, will they give US troops and resources to defend the democratic country? Will he support legislation already on the books to keep migrants who are not US citizens from voting in federal elections? How did he do this?
Are they still going to pay the unrealized capital tax, meaning that people will pay for assets, like homes, 401Ks and other retirement savings that have increased in value but the owners have not benefited from them?
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has promised to bring in outside auditors to reduce the size, cost and reach of the federal government. Is this something he supports? If not, what will be done to reduce the record $35 trillion debt. According to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation: “In 2023, the federal government will spend $658 billion in net interest costs on the national debt. This amount will increase by 38 percent from $476 billion in 2022.
All of this – and more – could be discussed if Harris would stop using stealth strategies that prevent him from having to answer questions that are difficult for the public to understand.
Real journalists, not the kind who used to work for politicians and activist organizations (“Mr. President, what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?”) should demand he start a long news conference.
Every other president in the last century has done it before and after the election. John F. Kennedy was held in the State Department auditorium. Lyndon Johnson had a different approach, answering reporters’ questions as he walked around the White House corridor, sometimes tugging at his dog’s ears. Barack Obama is the master of the press conference. Ronald Reagan also represented strength and good humor.
Are Harris and his campaign staff afraid that he will return to inappropriate word salad? Americans have a right to know what kind of president they elect and how they will lead. It doesn’t have to be an “arranged marriage” where no one knows about the other.
It being the 100th anniversary of Calvin Coolidge becoming president after the death of Warren Harding, Coolidge’s son, John, once said that his father invented the modern news conference. John shared transcripts of these meetings with reporters, which were off the record, but gave reporters information they could use without implicating Coolidge.
Even when traveling, Coolidge made sure the press had information of at least some value. The favor is returned in coverage that is mostly positive and not the cynicism and one-sided “reporting” that characterizes much of real journalism today. Journalists are looking for facts and not favoring one candidate or the other.
Come Kamala and hold a press conference. If you can’t do that, the community has a right and needs to know now.
Readers can email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” ​​(HumanixBooks).
