On Balance | Kamala Harris’ economic plan could be what US voters will settle for

Donald Trump, the incredible self-immolating Republican US presidential candidate, made his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris’ job much easier as she prepared for the long-awaited economic policy speech that she delivered on Friday.

One valid criticism that became a fixture as Republicans fretted about the lead Harris has taken against Trump in some swing state polling – and as Democrats worried about whether the momentum will continue – was the lack of any clear articulation about her plans to address inflation and other economic threats.

Whether Trump deserves it, American voters have more confidence in him than Harris on the economy, so she was exacerbating one key weakness by avoiding the subject after US President Joe Biden cleared the way for her to run.

She delivered a list of proposed actions that have so far received mixed reviews, including a pledge to stop grocery “price gouging”, higher tax credits for those with children and US$25,000 for qualifying first-time homebuyers. Depending on your ideological viewpoint, these measures are either a dangerous mix of price controls and deficit-expanding political tactics or necessary and welcome relief for middle class Americans.

The point is that she offered solutions that fell within the realm of normal economic discourse. We wouldn’t usually use the term normal to evaluate economic platforms, but – as with much of what the top of the Republican ticket have offered – Trump’s own policy prescriptions can only be described with the word that Democrats have used effectively against his party: weird.

Trump’s own solution for price gouging on groceries? Drill for oil. How does that work, exactly? Just search for it and you’ll find a bizarre series of words that are impossible to paraphrase, but make great material for America’s late night comedy hosts. It’s hilarious until you connect that idea to the record high temperatures and other forms of devastation caused by climate change, an issue that is now serious enough in voters’ minds to swing elections.